Underage drinking is America’s #1 youth drug problem. Alcohol kills 6.5 times more young people than all other illegal drugs combined.

Young, healthy people don’t usually think about health and safety issues. Young drinkers probably never imagine anything bad could happen to them. But accidents definitely happen to lots of young people who use alcohol. Here’s what you need to know.

Alcoholics are:

• 5 times more likely to die in car crashes
  
• 10 times more likely to become fire or burn victims
  
• 16 times more likely to die in falls

The #1 cause of death in 15-20 years old is alcohol related car crashes.

• More than 40% of all deaths of 15 - 20 year olds result from motor vehicle crashes. (To find out more about teen drunk driving check out: MADD)
  
  
• 8 young people die in American every day in alcohol-related crashes. (CSAP, 1996)
  
  
• In 1997, 21% of the young drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking. (NHTSA, 1999)
  
  
• More than 35% of all deaths of 16 - 20 year olds are the result of motor vehicle crashes. (NCHS, 1997)
  
  
• 37% of those fatal crashes were alcohol-related Approximately 2,104 young people, 16-20 years old, died in alcohol-related crashes in 1998. (NHTSA, 1999)
  
  
• During a typical weekend, an average of one teenager dies each hour in a car crash. Nearly 50% of those crashes involved alcohol. (NHTSA, 1999)
  

The # 2 cause of death among 15 -24 year olds is suicide.

• No cause and effect relation between alcohol/drugs and suicide has been established, but drug use is often a contributing factor to suicide. High rates of alcohol involvement have been found among suicide victims who use guns.

The # 3 cause of death among 15-24 year olds is murder.

Alcohol is a key factor in:

• 68% of all manslaughter cases
  
• 62% of assaults
  
• 54% of murders and attempted murders