Youth
The majority of youth do not use alcohol. Use the following
Facts, Free Stuff, and
Web Sites to help you avoid underage drinking and its
consequences. Think how you might share this information with your friends and classmates
so they also will know why—and how—to say “no” to alcohol.
Facts
Facts About Alcohol
This page on the Too Smart To Start Web site answers some of the most common questions about underage drinking, such how many young people drink and why alcohol is dangerous (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
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Facts About Alcohol
Lessons on the Cool Spot Web site offer “biology and chemistry to keep you from becoming history” from underage drinking. Learn how much alcohol is in a drink and more facts about alcohol (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
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Substance Abuse Treatment Locator
This searchable directory of drug and alcohol treatment programs shows the location of facilities around the country that treat alcoholism and alcohol abuse and drug abuse problems. The Locator includes more than 11,000 addiction treatment programs, including residential treatment centers, outpatient treatment programs, and hospital inpatient programs for drug addiction and alcoholism. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
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 Underage Drinking: Myths vs. Facts
This brochure dispels common myths about underage alcohol use and helps 9- to 15-year-olds understand the dangers associated with using alcohol. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; updated 2010)
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Free Stuff
Ready, Set, Listen Game
This game encourages youth ages 9 to 13 to talk with their parents about alcohol use. Youth have the chance to role-play decisionmaking about drugs and alcohol by answering questions about feelings, facts, and situations (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, December 2009).
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A Guide to Safe and Sober Event Planning
This alcohol-free party planning guide has:
- Ideas for party settings, themes, and activities;
- Promotional ideas to help spread the word about your event;
- Party task lists to make sure your event goes off without a hitch; and
- A complete set of resources for the event (including logos, posters, and other materials to make sure your party rocks!)
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; no date).
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Reach Out Now Poster
This poster, which includes a teacher’s guide on the reverse side, can be used to initiate classroom discussions on how students can refuse peer pressure or react to situations that encourage alcohol use.
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Underage Drinking Prevention Poster
The selections in this colorful poster’s vending machine represent the many activities youth can choose to do instead of drinking. Aimed to support underage drinking programs in middle schools, the poster directs students to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s adolescent underage drinking prevention Web site. (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; February 2006)
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Web Sites
The Cool Spot
The Cool Spot is for youth ages 11 to 13 and is designed to give them a clearer picture about alcohol use among their peers. Teens tend to overestimate how much kids their age really drink. With more accurate information, some of the pressure to drink can subside. The site also is designed to help young teens learn skills to resist the pressure to drink and to give them reasons not to drink (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
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NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse
NIDA for Teens: The Science Behind Drug Abuse educates youth ages 11 to 15 (as well as their parents and teachers) on the science behind drug abuse. The site delivers science-based facts about how drugs affect the brain and body so that youth will be armed with better information to make healthy decisions. Elements such as animated illustrations, quizzes, and games are used throughout the site to clarify concepts, test the visitor’s knowledge, and make learning fun through interaction (National Institute on Drug Abuse, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
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Too Smart To Start
Too Smart To Start provides information about underage drinking prevention for youth ages 9 to 17, their parents and educators, and other adults in their community. The site offers interactive games and exercises, classroom lesson plans, and other resources to help individuals and communities respond to The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
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Above the Influence
Above the Influence is an interactive drug prevention site for youth. The goal of the site is to help youth be more aware of the influences around them and better prepare them to stand up to the pressures that can contribute to unhealthy decisions (Office of National Drug Control Policy).
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