With so many other issues affecting young people right now, teen alcohol use may not seem like that big of a deal. You might recall your own early experiences and figure that some drinking can be expected. But when we look at alcohol's effect on a child's developing brain, the risks become clearer.
It's helpful to realize that the human brain continues to grow and develop until age 25. Frequent alcohol use can have a negative impact on regions of the brain that handle learning, memory and speech, as well as visual and spatial thinking.
Alcohol's impact on the brain — not to mention its immediate effects on everyday functioning — may explain why kids who drink usually have serious difficulties in school. Young people who admit to binge drinking are 4 to 6 times more likely than nondrinkers to skip classes. High-schoolers who drink regularly are 5 times more likely to drop out. Drinking is related to 40% of all academic problems in college — and 28% of kids who leave before getting their degrees cite problem drinking as one cause.
