If you ever feel tempted to start abusing alcohol, consider these facts:

• Over 25 percent of all the 15-to-20-year-olds who died in car crashes in 2005 were drinking. There were 7,460 youth motor vehicle deaths in that year.
• Car wrecks remain the number-one killer of teenagers, and alcohol is often a factor.
• In a survey of college students, 43 percent reported that they binge-drink every two weeks, on average.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse says roughly 16 percent of young people ages 12-17 regularly consume alcohol, and almost 10 percent of those youth are binge drinkers.
• In 2000, almost one in five young people ages 12 to 20 was a binge drinker, drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days. The rate of binge drinking among underage persons was almost as high as among adults age 21 or older.
• Alcohol abuse is suspected as a frequent factor in high school and college dropout rates. Alcohol is also a major contributor to youth violence.
• Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcohol dependence. The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) defines alcohol dependence as “increased tolerance, withdrawal symptoms when alcohol is not used, unsuccessful efforts to cut down on alcohol use, and interference with everyday life.”
• Approximately 3 million persons ages 18 to 25 have alcohol dependence.
• The National Center for Health Statistics estimated the annual cost of alcohol abuse at more than $150 billion. Alcohol-related crime costs about $6 billion a year and young people are often the perpetrators or the victims.
• Those ages 18 to 25 who continually increased their alcohol use had corresponding higher illicit drug use. The connection between heavy drinking and illicit drug use was found for marijuana as well as other illicit drugs.