In the State of Illinois, drivers under the age of 21 represent 10% of licensed drivers but are involved in 17% of alcohol-related fatal crashes according to isp.state.il.us. Most high school students drink to relax and escape from their problems. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows down the function of the central nervous system. Drinkaware.co.uk says that girls are more likely to be reported drunk than boys  (10%, compared with 7%). 

 Drinking can cause teenagers to not be able to control themselves and what they do. Teens get pressured and give in easily because they think it’s cool and because they see other people do it, they don’t want to be judged. Teens think it won’t affect them now, but in the future, it will and it already could be. They just don’t know it yet. Alcohol is hurting the lives of these teens and the people that are buying them. The alcohol is most at blame here. According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, they reported that 8.65 million Americans age 12 to 20 are current drinkers, meaning they had at least one drink in the past 30 days according to www.verywellmind.com.