Even though the legal age to drink is 21 in all the states, alcohol abuse still affects a significant amount of young adults between the ages of 12-20.*

Many teens experiment with alcohol without realizing what some consequences may be. Alcohol abuse affects an estimated 5.4 million Americans 12 and older. Also, about 40 percent of young adults who start drinking at 15 or younger become dependent on alcohol versus 10 for adults who start at 21 or older.**

Alcohol is not like a deck of cards. You can’t always just play with it when you want to and put it down when you feel like it. Many times people who begin using alcohol under the age of 21 become dependent, and drinking comes with serious consequences. Alcohol can damage every organ in your body since it’s absorbed directly into your bloodstream. Also, it can increase your risk for serious diseases, such as cancer.*** In addition, when you’re around people who drink or drinking yourself, you become more likely to get involved in violence and car crashes.3 Therefore, if you booze, you lose.

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Nightmare On AIDS Street ... 17-year old Isabel knows she can't take back what happened during a hazy night with a guy. While waiting for an HIV test, she confronts her greatest fear.

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All Falls Down …Three best girlfriends meet a group of boys on their daily commute, and each person is challenged to figure out who they are and what they want from a relationship. For example, one of the friends ends up having sex with one of the boys after getting drunk at his house. The consequences … only time will tell.

*ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/rpo996/
**http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=16534
***http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/ph323/