There are many consequences of underage drinking, even more than most probably think about. In 1996, a report totaled the cost of alcohol use by minors was approximately $53 billion. This amount includes $19 billion due to traffic crashes and $29 billion due to violent crime.

As if that astronomical amount of money wasn’t enough, some of the consequences of underage drinking include unintentional death and injury associated with underage drinking and driving. Not to mention homicide, suicide attempts, violence, unprotected sex with multiple partners, sexual assault, and vandalism.

Despite the fact that alcohol-related youth car accident fatalities have decreased over the years, young people are still overrepresented in alcohol-related fatal car crashes compared to older people. While the small amount of 7% of drivers in 2000 were between the ages of 15 and 20, they still represented around 13% of drivers who were involved in traffic fatalities who had been drinking. Statistics have shown that underage drinkers are less likely to wear their seat belt when they get behind the wheel. They are also more likely to get into a car with a driver who is intoxicated.

Many may not consider homicide or suicide some of the consequences of underage drinking, but it can be a direct result of it. In approximately 36% of homicides, 12% of male suicides, and 8% of female suicides involving youth under the age of 21, alcohol has been reported to have been involved. That’s approximately 1,500 homicides and 300 suicides in the year 2000. Homicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of 15 to 24.

Youth under the age of 21 commit 45% of rapes, 44% of robberies, and 37% of other assaults. It is also estimated that approximately 50% of violent crime is related to underage alcohol consumption.  It is estimated that about 95% of all violent crime and 90% of rapes on college campuses involve alcohol use by the assailant, the victim, or both.

It is estimated that far more than seventy thousand students between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. Today’s youth appear to be very aware that alcohol use influences the decisions they make regarding sexual behavior. About 29% of young people between the ages of 15 and 17 and 37% of youth between 18 and 24 claim that their decisions to do something sexual was influenced by their alcohol or drug use. They are also more than twice as likely to have unprotected sex as those who aren’t using alcohol.

There has been new research conducted that has shown that early heavy alcohol use may have a negative effect on the physical development of the adolescent brain structure. Young people who abuse alcohol have also been shown to perform worse on memory tests than those who don’t drink. Underage drinking may decrease the ability to plan and execute functioning, spatial operations, attention, and memory. The consequences of underage drinking are many and last for many years into adulthood.