Action vs. Underage Drinking
In its first Call to Action against underage drinking, the U.S. Surgeon General's office appealed to Americans to do more to stop the country's 11 million current underage drinkers from using alcohol, and to keep other young people from starting to drink. Acting Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth Moritsugu laid out recommendations for government and school officials, parents, other adults, and young people, saying that, while tobacco and illicit drug use has declined significantly, underage drinking has remained consistently high. “Research shows that young people who start drinking before the age of 15 are five times more likely to have alcohol-related problems later in life,” Dr. Moritsugu said in a statement.