Alcohol is most used and abused drug for youths From the CDC, alcohol use by persons under 21 is a major public health problem. Alcohol is the most commonly used and abused drug among youths in the United States, more than tobacco and illicit drugs. Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 drink almost 20 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States (1). Over 90 percent of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks (2). On average, underage drinkers consume more drinks per drinking occasion than adult drinkers (3). In 2004, there were over 142,000 emergency room visits by youths 12 to 20 years old for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol (4). Source: www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/drving.htm; Teenage drinking: www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/underage_drinking.htm; Alcohol-Exposed Pregnancies: www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fas/reduce.htm. Public policy should exclude alcohol from public events on taxpayer property due to this liability. Adult role models should reserve this activity for commercial enterprise or the privacy of one’s home. Contact the FCC by email, fccinfo@fcc.gov, or access www.fcc.gov/ to request that public service announcements be reinstated on TV and radio to help with education efforts. James Little Endicott
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