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Alcohol Affects Children’s Brains <br />Families Have an Impact on Underage Drinking <br />Children Have Access to Alcohol <br />It is not if but when your child will <br />have to make decisions about alcohol <br />of 8th, 10th & 12th graders <br />report having consumed <br />alcohol in their lifetime. <br />Central Nervous System <br />(Brain and Spinal Cord) <br />Hypothalamus <br />Hippocampus <br />Frontal Lobes <br />Decision-making <br />Memory <br />Body Temperature <br />Movement <br />Coordination <br />Bodily Regulation <br />Information Processing <br />Cerebral Cortex <br />Cerebellum <br />Medulla <br />Although underage drinking is at an all-time low, <br />We commend families for taking the time to talk to their children. <br />Source: responsibility.org, asklistenlearn.org <br />Source: responsibility.org <br />Source: asklistenlearn.org <br />Source: toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov, asklistenlearn.org <br />42% <br />48%36% <br />of teens who drink <br />(ages 12-20) reported <br />drinking in someone <br />else’s house in the <br />past month. <br />of teens who drink <br />(ages 12-20) reported <br />drinking in their own <br />home in the past <br />month. <br />69% of current underage drinkers did not pay <br />for the alcohol they consumed the last time they <br />drank. <br />55% of current underage drinkers reported <br />family and friends as their source for the alcohol <br />they consumed. <br />32% of current underage drinkers cite unrelated <br />persons aged 21 or older as their source of <br />alcohol. <br />Families are the #1 influence on <br />childrens’ decision to drink or not drink. <br />Children are most likely to avoid drinking when they <br />have a strong, trusting relationship with their families. <br />Short, frequent discussions can have a real impact on your <br />child’s decisions about alcohol. <br />Not having the conversation could condone the behavior. <br />Having conversations about alcohol does not plant the <br />seed for students to use. <br />89% of families believe they hold the leading influence <br />over their childrens’ decisions about alcohol. <br />80% of children feel that parents should have a say <br />whether they drink alcohol. <br />Drinking underage negatively <br />affects brain development. <br />Alcohol can cause alterations in the structure and function of <br />the developing brain, which may have permanent <br />consequences later in life. For example, because alcohol can <br />damage the hippocampus, a person may find it hard to learn <br />and to hold onto knowledge. Scientists have found <br />structural changes to brain cells after only one episode <br />of alcohol consumption. <br />Why talk to your children about alcohol?