Although drinking alcohol is illegal for adolescents, there are adults who view it as "innocent, every-kid-tries-it" behavior. Some adults even provide the alcohol. Because growing bodies are so sensitive to the effects of alcohol, youth are at much greater risk than adults for emotional and physical harm.

1. Alcohol is linked to the high death rate among adolescents. Of all age groups, only the 15-24 year olds have an increasing death rate. Causes: car accidents, suicides, and homicides; most of which are drug or alcohol related, most of which are from unnatural causes and preventable.
   
2. Teenagers are still physically developing. Adolescence is a period of rapid growth. The brain, nervous system, reproductive system and liver are still maturing. The body and muscle mass is incomplete and much more sensitive to the chemicals in drugs. The younger a child starts using alcohol, the greater the chance of becoming an alcoholic.
   
3. Teenagers are still emotionally developing. A young person is forming a sense of personal identity and is learning basic social skills. Alcohol disrupts this process by producing a chemical "high" that affects the process of learning how to deal with others, carrying out responsibilities, and handling problems. Problem drinkers cease growing up – mentally, emotionally, or socially. The remain like children, even in adult bodies.
   
4. Adolescents usually drink to get drunk. Kids do not drink socially – they drink to get "buzzed" or "wasted". The teenage party focus is on drinking per se rather than on other activities. Most of these parties have little or no parental supervision. The emphasis is on "chug-a-lugs" and other drinking games.
   
5. There is no known "safe" dose of alcohol for young people. Any level of alcohol in the body of a young person puts him or her at higher risk.