Although there are always exceptions, most kids who don’t drink in high school become only light drinkers in college (8). Typically, the kids who are the heaviest drinkers in college began drinking at younger ages (such as early teens). In fact, people who start drinking at age 15 or younger more likely to binge drink and are 6 times more likely to become addicted to alcohol than those who began drinking at age 21 (9). The safest bet is to tell your teens that you care about them and because you care, you expect them not to drink alcohol while they are still teenagers.

(Numbered citations can be found in the Resources section)