Be Aware of Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages deserve special mention. Drinking them risks good health and can cause other serious problems for teens. And although it is illegal for teens to buy alcoholic beverages, a 1994 survey conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services shows that 31 percent of high-school seniors and 20 percent of juniors reported being drunk in the past 30 days.

Teens who drink risk impaired judgment in their social relationships and endanger their own and others' lives if they drive after drinking. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in 1996, 37 percent of fatal crashes involving 15- to 20-year-old drivers were alcohol-related

Alcoholic beverages contain calories but few if any nutrients. Drinking heavily can lead to poor nutrition if alcoholic beverages replace foods with needed nutrients, and alcoholism is not unknown among teenagers.