Did you know that scientists have found changes in brain cells as little as six minutes after the consumption of alcohol? These changes can create permanent damage, especially in the teen brain. Because your brain isn’t fully formed, staying away from alcohol can help protect your developing brain.
Adolescence is a time of rapid and dramatic development—teen girls can grow as much as 9.5 inches, and boys up to 20 inches. It’s important for teens to make healthy choices that support their developing bodies. Whether you want to excel at sports, attend college, get a great job, or travel the world, drinking alcohol while underage can rob you of the things you need to reach your goals.
Why you need it: Water helps with digestion, circulation, and transportation of nutrients. It also energizes your muscles.
How alcohol interferes: Alcohol increases urine output and causes dehydration, making it more difficult to build muscle.
Why you need it: Vitamins and minerals boost the immune system, help organs work properly, and are necessary for growth and development.
How alcohol interferes: Large amounts of alcohol can slow or stop the digestive process, robbing you of the vitamins and minerals needed for growth.
Why you need it: Regular exercise strengthens bones, protects the heart, boosts mood, and can help prevent diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
How alcohol interferes: Drinking can cause heart disease, mask depression, and contribute to weight gain, all of which impair physical activity.
Why you need it: Sleep is key for overall health. It supports your attention, mood, physical health, and performance in school and sports.
How alcohol interferes: Alcohol can interfere with sleep patterns, preventing you from getting the sleep you need.
Download PDF for Teacher Instructions and Student Assessment.
Download PDF for worksheets.
Explore the choices involved in saying “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking
Time required: 40 minutes, plus homework
Materials required: Student Magazine, Worksheet A, Internet access or printouts of the Student Assessment, pen or pencil, paper, family activity sheets
Understand the ways that alcohol affects various internal organs
Time required: 40 minutes, plus homework
Materials required: Student Magazine, Worksheet B, highlighters, poster board, markers or colored pencils
Understand the harmful effects of alcohol on the teenage brain
Time required: 40 minutes, plus homework
Materials required: Student Magazine, Internet access or printouts of the Student Assessment, paper, pen or pencil, drawing paper, colored pencils
Download our guide and have a talk with your kids.
What Parents Think of This Guide:
How to Answer Common Questions Your Child May Have:
Don’t believe it? Ask your parents. Listen to their advice. They can help you learn why you shouldn’t drink alcohol.
There’s a reason underage drinking is against the law– it’s dangerous. And there are many reasons why it’s dangerous foryoung people, which you’ll discover here. In fact, too much alcohol can be downright life-threatening. The danger is not just to you but also to people around you.
If you know how to ask, listen, and learn, then you know how to stay safe. Alcohol can be one of the biggest risks to people your age. It is also one of the easiest risks to avoid.
These pages will tell you the hard truth about alcohol, and they’ll get you to think about it. Ask. Listen. Learn.
That’s A.L.L. you have to do.
People your age sometimes feel it’s hard to say no to alcohol– even to a best friend. If anyone offers you a drink, be prepared with an answer to refuse it. That way you won’t feel pressured to think one up on the spot. Below are seven possible ways to say no. Some are straightforward, while others are more creative than “I’m not allowed.” Try to remember them all– and make up three of your own, too. By the way, all of these responses were made up by kids like you!
Awards are usually given for something you have done. However, these awards are given for something you have not done (and will not do)– drink alcohol underage. As you continue going through this booklet, you’ll learn more and more about the dangers of underage drinking, and you’ll realize that you don’t need awards to avoid alcohol. Still, you deserve an award anyway! As you complete the activity described on the Award Card, fill in your name and then present the page to your parents to trade it in for a great award.
Download the brochure for more information and educational games!