Also called: Teenage drinking
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Underage Drinking
Alcohol is the most widely misused substance among America's youth. Drinking by young people has big health and safety risks. It is dangerous because it:
- Causes many deaths and injuries
- Can lead to poor decisions about engaging in risky behavior, such as drinking and driving or unprotected sex
- Increases the risk of physical and sexual assault
- Can lead to other problems, such as trouble in school
- May interfere with brain development
- Increases the risk of alcohol problems later in life
Kids often begin drinking to look "cool" or fit in with their peers. Parents can help their kids avoid alcohol problems. Open communication and conversations about drinking are important. So is being involved in your child's life. Get help for your child if you suspect a drinking problem.
It sits within Children and Teenagers and Substance Use and Disorders.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Underage Drinking
57 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Norms Re-education to Promote Engagement in Parent-based InterventionsLoyola Marymount University
- Hybrid Type 1 Trial of a Parent-Based Intervention Addressing Social Media and Adolescent Alcohol UseThe University of Texas at Arlington
- Examining an Intervention to Reduce High School DrinkingBinghamton University
- Primary Connections for Youth and FamiliesThe National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
- Effectiveness of Brief Intervention in Primary Care for Diverse Young People (Chat)RAND
- Native Spirit: Significant Aim 3: InterventionArizona State University
Research already completed
- Project e-PBI+ - Parent Intervention to Reduce College Student Drinking and Cannabis UsePenn State University
- Alcohol Feedback, Reflection and Morning EvaluationBrown University
- Adolescent Substance Use Prevention Intervention Research Study in Pediatric Primary CareBoston Children's Hospital
- Revolutionizing Normative Re-educationLoyola Marymount University
- Digitally Prompted Parenting: A Text Message Parent-Based Alcohol Intervention for Incoming College StudentsLoyola Marymount University
- Assessing the Feasibility of Economic Approaches to Prevent Substance Abuse Among AdolescentsWashington University School of Medicine
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Underage DrinkingCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- AlcoholNemours Foundation
- Fall Semester -- A Time for Parents To Discuss the Risks of College DrinkingNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Get the Facts about Underage DrinkingNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child about AlcoholNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Diagnosis and Tests
- Blood Alcohol LevelNational Library of Medicine
Treatments and Therapies
- Drug and Alcohol Treatment for AdolescentsAmerican Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Prevention and Risk Factors
- College Drinking - Changing the CultureNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- How to Talk With Your Teen about Drugs and AlcoholAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Underage Drinking: What Can Parents Do?Nemours Foundation
Related Issues
- Parents -- Talk with Your High School Grads about Celebrating SafelyNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Statistics and Research
- A Day in the Life of American Adolescents: Substance Use Facts UpdateSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
- Harmful and Underage College DrinkingNational Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Alcohol and YouthNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Underage Drinking, Adolescent, Alcohol Drinking. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Underage Drinking, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.