Alcohol Related To The Top 5 Causes Of Teenage Mortality
New reports released by Mother Against Drunk Driving, MADD, have shifted the concern for alcohol related teen deaths from driving accidents to non-driving accidents.
The statistical analysis, released Wednesday, claims only 32 percent of underage drinking deaths are caused by motor vehicle accidents. The remaining 68 percent of alcohol related teen deaths are caused by homicide, suicide, alcohol poisoning, drowning and other causes of death.
How do their numbers stack up with the top causes of teenage death in the United States?
In May 2010 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Mortality Among Teenagers Aged 12-19 Years: United States, 1999-2006 tracking the top 5 causes of teenage death. The CDC says on average 16,375 teenagers between the ages of 12 to 19 die each year in the United States.
Here's how their data broke down for specific causes of teen mortality:
1. Accidents
While deaths related to accidental injuries included a variety of possibilities including unintentional poisoning and drowning, 73 percent of accidental deaths were traffic related. Before 1999, over one third of all teenage motor vehicle accidents were alcohol related.
2. Homicide
Approximately 85 percent of teen homicide deaths are related to firearms. Reckless abandonment experienced when there's too much alcohol in someone's system can make drastic decisions seem plausible
3. Suicide
Mental disorders such as depression, bipolar disorder and antisocial disorder are associated with 90 percent of teen suicides. Alcohol consumption has been known to drastically intensify these conditions.
4. Cancer
The most common types of cancer associated with teenagers include leukemia, liver cancer, and pancreatic cancer. All three of these cancers affect areas of the body that can be damaged consuming high amounts of alcohol — especially the liver.
5. Heart Disease
Cardiovascular conditions inteenagers arise from same causes as adults: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, tobacco use, obesity, and lack of exercise. Alcohol can clearly impede on all five of these functions.
In order to raise awareness for parental influence on teen alcohol safety, with the help of Nationwide Insurance, MADD has recently launched the Power of Parents program. The initiative of this program is to help parents better inform their own children about the dangers of alcohol.
MADD has designated April 21 as the national day for parents to talk to their children about the dangers of underage drinking, also known as PowerTalk 21 day.