Alcohol Is A Drug
Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug in the United States. It is very accessible, and in some cases, people don’t even consider it to be a drug because they can purchase it just about everywhere. Even though you have to be 21 to purchase and legally consume alcohol, many young people, even those as young as age 12 abuse alcohol.
A Few Statistics
One in 6 Native American adolescents (ages 12 to 17) engage in underage drinking, the highest rate of alcohol use of all racial/ethnic groups.
Native American youth have been found to start consuming alcohol at a younger age and in greater quantities than other youth. (Friese and Grube, 2008; Friese et al., 2011; Spear et al., 2005)
Your brain continues to develop into your early 20s. Underage drinking can impede that development.
