David Edvin & Samuel Harald 
Underage Drinking 
Examining and Preventing Youth Use of Alcohol

Alcohol use by persons under the age of 21 has been identified as a major public health problem. Studies report that it increases the risks for disability and may be detrimental to the developing brain. Minors who drink are more likely to commit suicide, break the law, or be victims of violence. Alcohol is implicated in nearly one-third of youth traffic fatalities. Underage drinking remains a far more prevalent problem than the use of illicit drugs or tobacco products. While most underage drinking prevention laws are passed by states, there has been legislative activity and interest at the federal level to support states’ efforts to curb the problem. Issues of concern to policy makers include the ineffective enforcement of "zero-tolerance" laws prohibiting underage drinking, and the online sale of alcohol to minors. This book highlights the ongoing problems that stem from underage drinking and the steps being taken by the government to curb this problem. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.