In 2023, alcohol was the most used substance among youth in grades 9–12 in Utah, according to Utah’s Public Health Data Resource. This is concerning, as any amount of alcohol use by minors is considered excessive and can impair health, decision-making, and driving ability. Consider this information.
Risk to Brain Development. According to the National Institute on Mental Health, the brain continues to develop until about age 25. Drinking alcohol can harm this growth and damage parts of the brain, leading to problems with memory, learning, decision-making, and behavior.
Risk of Alcohol Dependence. Kids who drink alcohol at a young age are more likely to have alcohol problems or addictions later in life. If someone drinks often, their body usually needs more alcohol to get the same desired feeling. Trying to stop can cause withdrawal symptoms, including shaky hands and feeling sick or anxious. Some people keep drinking to avoid these negative side effects. Alcohol use disorder occurs when a person cannot control their drinking, even though it causes serious problems at home, school, or with their health. Alcohol can change the brain so much that it is hard to quit and easy to start again.
Poor Decision-Making. Alcohol can impair judgment and lead youth to do risky things such as driving drunk, getting into fights, or trying other drugs. Drinking in youth can harm the brain’s frontal lobe, which helps with planning and making appropriate choices. Young people aged 12–20 sometimes engage in binge drinking, which happens when they have three or more drinks in 2 hours. This can make them drunk, increasing the risk of making unsafe choices, getting into trouble at school or with the law, getting hurt, or even dying.
Health Risks and Organ Deterioration Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver, cause problems with the heart and blood vessels, make the pancreas swell, increase the risk for cancer, and cause alcohol poisoning, all of which can be life-threatening.
According to Parents Empowered 2025, children whose parents clearly communicate that they disapprove of underage drinking are far less likely to try alcohol. Parents have the greatest influence in keeping their kids alcohol-free. Here’s how they can help.
• Talk early. Start talking about alcohol by age 9. Kids begin to form ideas about alcohol between ages 9 and 13.
• Set clear boundaries. Write down your family’s rules about underage drinking and review them regularly. If parents set clear rules, the likelihood that a child will drink drops by almost half.
• Stay involved. Know your kids’ friends, activities, and what they do after school.
• Spend time together. Do regular, fun activities as a family. Strong bonds help kids make better choices.
For more information and references, visit Fact Sheet for Parents: What You Need to Know About Alcohol. Authors are Aaron Hunt, Gabriela Murza, and Alyssa Ferrin, Utah State University Health Extension: Advocacy, Research, and Teaching (HEART) Initiative.