The percentage of Wisconsin teens who have tried alcohol EXCEEDS the national average.
Nearly 42,000 Wisconsin high schoolers report TRYING ALCOHOL by the age of 13.
2 out of 3 Wisconsin teens don’t see underage drinking as a RISK.
65% of Wisconsin teens have TRIED alcohol.
There’s a reason the legal drinking age is 21. It’s to keep our children healthy and safe. When youth drink alcohol, they can damage and even block the development of healthy mental pathways in the brain that shape how kids feel, learn, behave, and grow. Damage like that can have lifelong physical, social, and emotional consequences.
Alcohol affects young people MORE POWERFULLY than it does adults, and drinking before the brain and body are fully developed can have DANGEROUS effects.
Underage drinking can change the way the BRAIN DEVELOPS & FUNCTIONS.
Alcohol can SHUT DOWN new brain cell growth.
Drinking can DAMAGE the parts of the brain responsible for LEARNING, MEMORY, & SELF-CONTROL.
Alcohol can alter a child’s MOTOR SKILLS.
Heavy alcohol use can increase the risk of LIVER disease & HEART disease.
High levels of alcohol in the body can shut down those parts of the brain that control BREATHING, HEART RATE, & BODY TEMPERATURE.
Heavy alcohol use can also increase the risk of seven different CANCERS later in life.
Concerned about a kid’s well-being?
Call 211 or 1-833-944-4673
The Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline can help you find local services and support. It’s free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day.