Is Alcohol Affecting Your Teen's Potential to Succeed?

Parents. The Anti-Drug

Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, Highwood, and Riverwoods

February 2013

Is Alcohol Affecting Your Teen's
Potential to Succeed?

Greetings!

We all want our children to succeed...whether that be academically, athletically, socially, etc. But how is alcohol use by our teens affecting their potential?

When it comes to alcohol, parents and teens may underestimate the risks associated with underage drinking. Almost 25% of 12th graders don't believe there is a risk associated with having five or more alcoholic beverages once or twice a week. 61% of 12th graders reported drinking within the last 30 days and 38% reported having four or more drinks at least once in the past two weeks. (2012 Illinois Youth Survey)

One of the greatest risks associated with underage drinking is its effects on the developing teen brain. It was once thought that the brain would reach full development early on in childhood. However, research now shows that some of the most important changes in the human brain occur during adolescence, between the ages of 10 and 20. In simple terms, the teenage brain is not the same as the adult brain.

Quick Links

Parents.The Anti-Drug
Take Time To Talk

The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Save a Star Drug Disposal Program

A discussion we all need to have

As spring break, prom and graduation season approaches and teens are faced with additional opportunities and pressures to drink alcohol, we invite you to attend:

Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain - Is it Affecting Your Teen's Potential to Succeed?

A discussion we all need to have about alcohol and its effects on the teen brain.

Monday, March 18th

7:30 - 9:00 pm

Highland Park High School Auditorium

All parents and teens (8th - 12th grade) are encouraged to join us as Dr. Aaron White, Program Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and one of the leading researchers in the nation of alcohol and adolescent brain development helps answer these and many more questions:

How does alcohol affect the development of the teen brain?
How is the teen brain different than the adult brain?
How does underage drinking affect life-long dependency?
What is the correlation between underage drinking and teen depression?

In addition, Dr. White will provide compelling reasons for teens to postpone consuming alcohol until their adulthood and empower them to find healthy forms of risk taking so that they can build confidence and explore the world in a relatively safe way. To see a short video of Dr. Aaron White on CNN talking about alcohol and teen brain development, click here.

This event is sponsored by Parents. The Anti-Drug, Highland Park High School PTO, and Deerfield Parent Network. For more info email parents.theantidrug@gmail.com.