WASHINGTON, DC 5/6/2011 8:52:25 PM
News / Education

Underage drinking continues to plague America

Youth of America still drinking underage

It’s no secret that many of America’s youth are looking for the quickest fix or high. Often times, they turn to a readily available substance found in many Americans’ homes: alcohol.

Statistics show that by age 18, 70% of teens have had one drink. While it’s true that, when teens do drink, they drink less often than adults; however, when drinking they tend to drink more than adults: approximately 5 drinks on a single occasion.

In addition, research indicates that 40% of adults who started drinking before age 15 say that they have the signs of alcohol dependence, four times higher than for adults who delayed drinking until after 21 years old.

“Underage drinking is a continuing and growing problem in America and is one that is hard fought on many fronts,” begins a spokesperson for Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center. “Programs such as DARE and other school-based education programs go a long way in getting the message out about the dangers of underage drinking. With continued effort, we believe that we can decrease the underage drinking statistics and give renewed hope for the future of America.”

Underage drinking is a major contributor to deaths among those under 21 years old. 5,000 people under 21 die as a result of underage drinking annually - approximately 2,000 from motor vehicle crashes, 1,600 from homicides, 300 from suicides and hundreds more from other injuries.

If you know or suspect that your teen or minor has a problem with alcohol, Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center offers professional intervention services to assist you in getting them the help that they need to recover. For the past 13 years, Mountainside has established itself as an innovator within the addiction treatment field, and the treatment modalities Mountainside utilizes are regarded as among the most cutting-edge approaches in helping individuals to get, and to remain, sober.

The compassionate, caring treatment team at Mountainside is comprised of licensed and certified counselors and social workers as well as a Nurse Practitioner and a Registered Nurse, both of whom have specialization and extensive experience in drug addiction and alcohol treatment. For clients who may have psychiatric issues and/or a dual diagnosis, Mountainside provides the services of a Psychiatrist who also has specialization in addictions. As a result of their unique, innovative approaches to addiction treatment over the past 13 years, Mountainside has become the model for the addiction treatment field.

The program, along with its professional addiction treatment team, have earned national recognition and resulted in Mountainside being invited to Washington by the White House to meet with the White House Drug Czar, John P. Waters, for an in-depth meeting on what makes its program so successful. These accolades did not go unnoticed within the addiction treatment field and resulted in the adoption by many throughout the country of a more holistic approach to drug addiction treatment.

If you or someone you love is addicted to drugs or alcohol, or if you have any questions, please contact Mountainside Drug Rehab and Alcohol Treatment Center for a confidential inquiry at 800-762-5433.