Why should parents be concerned about peer pressure and underage drinking?
Peer pressure can influence children to participate in high-risk activities, including underage drinking. Alcohol use among teens is both common and potentially dangerous. In fact, underage drinking is so common that it is often viewed as an adolescent rite of passage. By the end of high school, 77% of adolescents report drinking alcohol and 60% report having been “drunk”. 9 Even teens who do not drink put themselves in danger when they ride in a car with other teens who have been drinking. Despite the high rates of alcohol use among teens, most adolescents survive this period without major social or physical repercussions. However, for some teenagers, drinking can lead to severe problems. Teen drinking can be dangerous due to the direct physical and psychological effects of alcohol. This danger is real for all teens who drink but is especially a risk among adolescents who are heavy drinkers. Binge drinking can directly damage the liver, stomach, pancreas and brain. Heavy drinking can
