Underage drinking is not a rare occurrence by any means, and there can be a plethora of consequences for those involved. Underage drinking can have an impact on your immediate health, physical health, your relationships, future, finances, and youth. Just one incident can have life altering consequences.

What happens when you consume alcohol underage?

Alcohol causes impaired functions, that effect both your motor skills and decision-making skills. Heavy drinking puts you, especially if you’re underage, at a higher risk of making poor choices that have lasting effects. However, for underage drinkers, many make poor decisions after having very little to drink, due to the affects that alcohol has on them during development (Bonnie et O’Connell, 2004).

It’s a common misconception that underage drinkers have the same response to alcohol as adults. The decisions may be similar by theme, but the severity, as a result of youth drinking, is usually magnified causing greater damages.

Drinking and Driving – More like Walking and Hiding

Because of the higher risks of underage drivers, many states have modified laws to be “zero-tolerance” or near zero, blood alcohol content (BAC) levels. Despite these modifications and the decline in underage drinking related accidents and deaths, there are still more youth-related fatalities than adults (Bonnie et O’Connell). The poor decision to drink and drive results in not only severe consequences for the driver, but any passengers and innocent victims as well.

Even at lower BAC levels than adults, under-age drinkers pose higher risks when behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 37% of all youth related traffic fatalities are a result of underage drinking. Of all the young adults killed in all motor vehicle incidents, 69% are because of an underage drinker (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). The majority is because of underage drinking, and the higher risk of poor decision making when combined with premature alcohol use. The effects of drinking and driving can cause injury, death, and many other severe consequences: expense, jail, damages, court, suspended license, etc.

Drinking and driving can cause harm to you, your passengers, other drivers, and pedestrians. It can cause tremendous damages to both your vehicle and your property. When arrested for a DUI it will be reported to your insurance, and in many instances, you will be kicked off your policy and experience higher insurance rates in the future. Many states revoke license privileges and offer restricted driving privileges pending hefty fines. It’s likely that you’ll also be enrolled in a drinking and driving prevention course at your expense, or install an ignition interlock system, all while staying on your record for up to 7 years. Fines vary for severity, and sometimes jailtime is even a likely consequence. If you are someone who is underage, and if you are caught drinking and driving, your punishment will be just as expensive as an adult and haunt you for much longer (alcohol.org, 2020).

Was it Worth It?

Not all underage drinking convictions are driving related however, but all occur as a result of impaired decision-making skills. You can even face a charge just for drinking itself! In addition, you may face additional charges for other poor decisions made while under the influence.

Underage Sex – underage sex poses many risks. Without proper education and protection, it can result in STIs and pregnancy. While intoxicated, protection might quite literally get thrown out the window, and you can be a teen parent with an STI before you know it. The Boston University School of Public Health actually provides data displaying that those who drank during their pre-teen years, were twice as likely to have unprotected and unplanned sex (Hingson et Kenkel, 2004).

Vandalism – Alcohol influences behavior, by making it harder to differentiate right from wrong, causing very poor judgement. Sometimes in the spur of the moment, fit of drunken rage, or just caving into peer pressure from your best friend, acts of vandalism can seem like a blast. When the lights flash from behind you and you’re faced with a heavy fine and community service for weeks, as well as underage drinking charges, you’ll never touch a spray paint can again. 11 percent of college students admitted having caused similar types of property damage while drunk, and both vandalism and property damage continue to be a problem on college campus (Bonnie et O’Connell).

Safety Risks – Accidents don’t only happen when someone is behind the wheel. Sometimes drunken decisions can result in dangerous activities and games, and can result in drowning, serious injury, fatalities, etc. because of the influences of alcohol.

Lifetime sentence

There are many other poor decisions that may result from underage drinking. Homicide, suicide, and drug addiction are very common in those who began drinking at a younger age and is more prevalent among those with underage drinking related convictions.

• Suicide: alcohol is and known antidepressant, and those who experience suicidal ideologies often act on their thoughts while under the influence. Depression is a rising concern amongst teens, and mixing alcohol can worsen depression. The CDC reports 12% of male, and 8% of female suicides having mixed the two.
• Homicide: Alcohol clouds one’s judgement and alters mood. It can twist your perspective and cause you to lash out in situations, causing regretful, sometimes permanent, reactions. Alcohol has been reported in 36% of homicides and is the second leading cause of death for 15-19-year-olds (CDC, 2001).
• Rape – nearly half of rape convictions are committed by individuals under 21 (Bonnie et O’Connell). On college campuses specifically, 95% of violent crimes, and 90% of rapes, involved an intoxicated assailant, victim, and many times, both (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, 1994). Rape convictions are damaging to every party involved, and those near and dear to them.

Drinking Isn’t only Harmful to Your Liver, Especially if You’re Underage

Early alcohol abuse is believed to negatively impact the physical development of the brain. Our brains develop well beyond adolescence, and into adulthood. The development stages that occur during young adulthood are primarily responsible for information processing, organization, and impulse control. Premature Alcohol Abuse also poorly impacts your stress responses, and personal drives.

Poor stress response and personal drive can have lasting effects if your underage drinking results in a conviction, ticket or fine. Some underage convictions result in juvenile detainment or even jailtime if over the age of 18. Early exposure, and having prior convictions, often results in multiple convictions throughout life, a higher chance of developing addictions (National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse).

Cool, or Fool?

An underage drinking conviction can soon snowball into a mountain of problems. What can seem like an innocent and fun night, can soon end up costing you far more than your summer savings. There are the more immediate causes, such as your permanent function and motor skills, but these cause a chain reaction resulting in severely impaired judgement. There are clear connections between underage drinking and long-term problems, many of which result from early convictions.

Although sneaking your parent’s alcohol or having a fake ID (another conviction) is romanticized nowadays, there is nothing beautiful about what can happen as a result of an underage drinking conviction. It is a lengthy process that will change your life as you know it. Unable to drive, free time spent in your DDP, working to pay those fines that are due, mourning, or even serving time, your fifteen minutes of “fame” while drunk speed racing turned into the talk of the town for the next decade. Unable to process stress as well as before your first night of binge-drinking, this one incident can cause you to depend on alcohol, constantly repeating the cycle.