ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT OUT OF THE STATE CRIMINAL JUSTICE INFORMATION AUTHORITY, TEEN DRINKING IS DOWN IN ILLINOIS…BUT STILL CONCERNING.
THE DATA SHOWS THAT ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION BY TEENS DROPPED BY ABOUT EIGHT PERCENT BETWEEN 2008 AND 2017 SAYS ACTING RESEARCH DIRECTOR JESSICA REICHERT.
ALCOHOL-RELATED ARRESTS WERE ALSO DOWN IN ILLINOIS…BY ABOUT 25 PERCENT FROM 2005 TO 2019. DESPITE THE DECREASES, REICHERT SAYS ALCOHOL USE BY YOUTH REMAINS AN IMPORTANT HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE SINCE DRINKING CAN LEAD TO RISKY BEHAVIORS, AFFECT SCHOOLWORK AND ALTER BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.
REICHERT SAYS THE DOWNWARD TRENDS ARE GOOD NEWS, BUT THAT TEEN DRINKING IS STILL A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT CAN AFFECT SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, LEAD TO RISKY BEHAVIORS AND MAY HARM BRAIN DEVELOPMENT.
