Youth often is thought of as a time for trying new things, but trying alcohol at a young age can be riskier than you might think. More than two decades of research from the American Medical Association (AMA) shows that alcohol causes severe and possibly lasting brain damage in people under the age of 21. This is of great concern because children now try alcohol for the first time at the age of 12, and nearly 20 percent of 12- to 20-year-olds report binge drinking (having 4 to 5 drinks in a row).

Researchers compared the brains of 14- to 21-year-olds who drank alcohol with those who didn't. Teens who drank had smaller hippocampi (the area deep in the brain that handles memory and learning), and they also had damage to part of the cerebral cortex, the prefrontal cortex (an area tucked behind the forehead that is used to make decisions and to reason). The AMA found that teens who used alcohol scored worse on vocabulary, visual-spatial tests (the ability to think in pictures and images), and memory tests. They also were more likely to perform poorly in school and suffer from social problems, depression, suicidal thoughts, and violence.

Alcohol can be harmful to people of any age, but it takes a greater toll on brain development in those under 21 than in any other age group. Findings show that adults would have to consume twice as many drinks to suffer the same damage as teens and that even some heavy drinking injures young brains. The AMA report points out that, no matter what many people might think, youth do not tolerate the effects of alcohol better than adults.

The good news is that parents can help their teens make healthy choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol. Know where your child is, whom he is with, and what he is doing. Take time to talk to him each day about his activities and ideas, and listen to what he tells you. Discuss your expectations for him, and praise behavior you want him to repeat.

For information about how to talk to your child, visit Underage and Under the Influence of Alcohol (hyperlink to article) and Talk to Your Child About Alcohol for information about how to talk to your child. You also may want to use ads on TV to start a conversation with your child about alcohol and drug use.

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