{"id":2564,"date":"2024-12-02T09:52:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T09:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beta11.technodreamcenter.com\/360youthservices.org\/?p=2564"},"modified":"2025-11-18T09:13:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T09:13:42","slug":"the-power-of-choice-middle-school-edition-april-2025-issue-4-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beta11.technodreamcenter.com\/360youthservices.org\/the-power-of-choice-middle-school-edition-april-2025-issue-4-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Choice \u2013 Middle School Edition December 2024, Issue 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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TALKING ABOUT THE RISKS OF UNDERAGE DRINKING<\/strong><\/h1>

One major contributor to why kids decide to use alcohol is the normalization \u2013 or even glorification \u2013 of alcohol in their environment. Middle schoolers are consuming online content and other media more than ever, and this content informs how they think about underage drinking. Songs, TV shows, movies, and social media posts all influence a child\u2019s perception, often in a negative way. Pop culture often portrays drinking as glamorous, exciting, and fun while leaving out the negative consequences that come with it. It\u2019s important that you talk to your child about alcohol use and make sure that they understand the reality of underage drinking. Tell them about the social, physical, and mental health risks that come with alcohol use.<\/p>

Social Consequences<\/strong><\/h2>

Youth alcohol use can negatively impact a teen\u2019s social health in many ways. Frequent and heavy alcohol use has been linked to an increased likelihood to get into physical fights and develop antisocial behaviors. Studies have found that, compared to their non-drinking peers, frequent heavy adolescent drinkers are nearly 3 times more likely to be in fights and over 6 times more likely to be injured in a fight. Teen drinking can also strain a teen\u2019s relationships with their family and friends, result in legal consequences, and cause unplanned pregnancies due to an increase in risky sexual behaviors. Underage drinking can cause youth to experience difficulties at school, like more absences, lower grades, and getting in trouble due to their behaviors.<\/p>

Mental Health Impacts<\/strong><\/h2>

Underage drinking is associated with a wide range of mental health concerns, including an increased risk of depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, low self-esteem, future alcohol misuse, and even suicide. Alcohol use can also impair a teen\u2019s stress response, causing stressful events to be more damaging and lengthening recovery time. Perhaps most notably, teen alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol use disorder (AUD), a medical condition generally characterized by continued alcohol use despite awareness of negative. AUD is a chronic and progressive disorder that can severely impact all facets of a person\u2019s life. Youth who drink are at a significantly greater risk of developing AUD. In fact, research shows that adolescents who start drinking before age 15 are over 5 times more likely to develop AUD than people who only drank after reaching legal age.<\/p>

Physical Health Impacts<\/strong><\/h2>

Underage alcohol use increases a teen\u2019s risk of being injured through alcohol-related falls, burns, drowning, and car accidents. Frequent drinkers are more likely to engage in behaviors that put them at risk of serious harm, including using other substances and driving under the influence.. Like with mental and social health, underage drinking can also have long-term, and even life-long, impacts on a child\u2019s physical health. These long lasting impacts for children who repeatedly and heavily use alcohol include slowed brain development, heart and liver diseases, brain damage, high blood pressure, and much more. In total, the World Health Organization estimates that alcohol use contributes to over 200 diseases and injury-related health conditions.<\/p>

Prevention at Your Child\u2019s School<\/strong><\/h2>

Check out the latest Power of Choice Middle School vaping campaign poster! Students will see these posted, along with newsletters, throughout their hallways, reminding them that their health matters. Each sign provides facts and information on the potentially harmful effects that vaping can have on their growing bodies.<\/p>

You can view the materials on our website here<\/a>.<\/p><\/div>

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Give your brain time to grow. Vaping nicotine can harm the developing brain.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>

Additional Resources<\/strong><\/h2>