Alcohol is created by fermenting grains, vegetables, and fruits. Fermentation is when you use bacteria or yeast to change the sugars in a food into an alcohol.

Alcohol has a negative effect on us because it enters our bloodstream and affects both our brain’s functioning ability and our central nervous system. Basically it clouds our judgment and impairs our normal bodily functions.

Alcohol is especially harmful to teens because our brains are not fully developed until we reach the age of 21 so the alcohol prohibits our brain from reaching its full ability.

Alcohol affects the pre-frontal cortex, which is the part of your brain that houses common sense. This is why teenagers often do things without thinking, and teenage drinking stops the development of the pre-frontal cortex.

Alcohol begins as a stimulant meaning you will be the life of the party and may make bad decisions.

Alcohol is ultimately a depressant meaning your body will slow down and your reaction time will decrease.

More than 100,000 people die each year of alcohol related death.

Nearly half of all fatal car crashes are alcohol related.

The average person age 14 and older drinks 2.18 gallons of alcohol each year.

On average, people with more education and money are more likely to drink.

Every day an average of 11,318 teenagers try alcohol for the first time.

Alcoholism costs the U.S. 40 to 60 billion dollars each year.

Nearly 18 million Americans meet the criteria for being an alcoholic.

If you buy your own beer and binge drink 10 beers a week you will spend upwards of $1000 each year.

If you buy 2 beers a week at restaurant prices you will still only spend about $250 each year.

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