A nationwide survey, by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration carried out on teens aged 12 to 20 from 2002 to 2006, reveals that most teens are receiving alcohol from either their parents or other adults.

Based on questions about behavior and social situations involved in underage drinking addressed to 158,000 teens, the survey found there are about 10.8 million underage drinkers.

The question rising immediately in everybody’s mind is how these teenagers obtained their drink. According to the survey, 40 percent of them said they got it from an adult for free over the past month. More exactly, one in four said they got it from an unrelated adult, one in 16 got it from a parent or guardian, and one in 12 got it from another adult family member. Also, 4 percent said they took the alcohol from their own home.

Acting Surgeon General Dr. Steven Galson said parents enable underage drinking far too often encouraging teenagers “to risk their health and well-being,” the Associated Press quotes him.

He also added that parents encouraging their kids to drink are unaware of the risks related to alcohol intake. Approximately 5,000 underage drinkers die yearly because of incidents related to alcohol consumption, which he called “a really disturbing number of people.”

Dr. Galson enumerated some of the incidents directly linked to alcohol consumption, more exactly, sexual assaults, falls, automobile accidents, and increased rates of suicide and homicides.

The survey’s findings reveal more data, which should trigger alarm signals among parents, caregivers, or society’s officials. About 3.5 million underage drinkers each year abuse or are addicted to alcohol.

Also, alcohol consumption increased with age. More exactly, 7 percent of youth aged 12 to 14 were using alcohol, compared with 27.5 percent of youths aged 15 to 17 and 51.3 percent of 18 to 20 year olds.

The report also showed that most participants (80 percent) engaged in binge drinking while being with two or more friends the last time they drank. Moreover, the quantity of alcohol increased when two or more friends were present. The study found that underage drinkers drank an average of 4.9 drinks when they were in groups of two or more, compared with 3.1 drinks when only one other person was present and 2.9 drinks when they were drinking alone.

Terry Cline, administrator of the governmental agency that conducted the survey said the findings “provides unprecedented insight into the social context of this public health problem,” indicating that “parents and other adults can play an important role in helping influence – for better or for worse – young people’s behavior with regard to underage drinking.”

Apart from being illegal and from the social consequences of underage drinking, exposing the brain to alcohol in a period of transition from early childhood to maturity may interrupt key processes of brain development, possibly leading to cognitive impairment. Drinking alcohol leads to a loss of coordination, poor judgment, slowed reflexes, distorted vision, memory lapses, and even blackouts.

Previous studies have also shown that subtle alcohol-induced adolescent learning impairments could affect academic and occupational achievement.

It is no longer a secret that alcohol can damage every organ in your body. It is absorbed directly into your bloodstream and can increase your risk for a variety of life-threatening diseases, including cancer.