Monitoring Youth Exposure to Alcohol Advertising in Magazines

Nearly 11 million young people between the ages of 12 and 20 report drinking in the past 30 days, and almost 7.2 million report binge drinking (defined as five or more drinks on a single occasion, usually within two hours). Every day, over 5,000 young people under the age of 16 have their first full drink of alcohol. Underage alcohol use is responsible for 5,000 deaths per year among persons under age 21. Incidence of the onset of alcohol dependence peaks at age 18. Young people who begin drinking prior to age 15 are five times more likely to suffer from alcohol-related problems later in life than those who wait until they are 21.