myths and lies

Myth: Alcohol Companies Don’t Advertise to Youth

* The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth found that youth exposure to alcohol ads increased over 70% between 2001 and 2009 – more than the exposure to adults.

* The average teenager is exposed to over 80 references to substance abuse per day by the media, making alcohol and other drug use seem normal and acceptable.

Myth: Alcohol Use is a Rite of Passage

* The younger you start using alcohol, the more likely you are to become addicted.

* Everyone is not drinking! In Kentucky, over 64% of high school seniors have not had any alcohol in the past 30 days.

Myth: Drinking and Driving is the Biggest Risk of Underage Drinking

* Teen brains don’t finish developing until the early 20s, making teen brains vulnerable to long-term damage from alcohol use.

* Those who first use alcohol before the age of 15 are fives times more likely to become dependent on or abuse alcohol than those who wait until 21 or older.

* About 40% of people who drink before the age of 15 report having problems with alcohol at some point in their lives.

* Teens who drink are more likely to have problems in school, get in fights with friends and get in fights with parents.

* Regionally, data indicates that 27% of 12th graders have reported blacking out from drinking or drug use. That’s scary!

* Every year around 5,000 people under the age of 21 die from underage drinking: either form car crashes, homicides, suicides, injuries and overdoses.

Myth: Anyone can stop drinking if they really want to

* False! Addiction is a disease that causes permanent changes in the brain. Once the brain has become addicted, it thinks that alcohol is necessary in order to live. Trying to quit drinking is like trying to quit breathing.


* Often, people will have to see a doctor or a mental health practitioner for help and they will need a lot of support from family, friends and society.