by Center for Science in the Public Interest

About the author: The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a nonprofit education and advocacy organization that seeks to reduce the damage caused by alcoholic beverages.

For kids, alcohol is “still the one.” Alcohol is the most widely used and abused drug among youth. It kills more teenagers than all other drugs combined, and is a factor in the three leading causes of death among 15–24 year olds: accidents, homicides and suicides. Nearly four million young people suffer from alcohol dependence, accounting for over one-fifth of all alcohol dependent people. Alcohol can cause serious and potentially life threatening problems for children and adolescents and can be a precursor to other drug use.

The average age at which children begin...