There are a lot of risks when it comes to underage drinking. Youth who start drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol addiction than those who begin drinking at or after age 21. Most studies suggest a link between alcohol use and other risky behaviors, particularly in older teens, such as drug use, drinking and driving, accidents and suicide. Another big added risk for teenagers drinking alcohol is that the brain is still fine-tuning and developing until the mid-20’s which means you can disrupt the final wiring of your brain when you drink alcohol as a teenager.

Drug Facts Chat Day: Alcohol. (n.d.). Retrieved 2016, from http://teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-facts-week/drug-facts-chat-day-alcohol

Actually, that is not true. 1 in 6 teens who use marijuana will become addicted, and the number rises to 1 in 4 if a teen tries it in the 8th grade or younger. As a matter of fact, marijuana dependence is the number one reason for Nevada teens age 12 to 17 to enter into substance abuse treatment AND more Nevada teens are in treatment for marijuana dependence than for all other illicit drugs combined.

Anthony, J.C., Warner, L.A., & Kessler, R.C. (1994); Giedd. J. N., 2004

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS)
Based on administrative data reported by States to TEDS through Oct 24, 2014

E-cigarettes may not be as harmless as advertised. The liquid used in them, when ingested or absorbed through the skin, can cause vomiting, seizures or death. They also do not just emit harmless water vapor. Second-hand e-cigarette aerosol contains nicotine, ultra-fine particles and low levels of toxins that are known to cause cancer.

Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://no-smoke.org/pdf/ecigarette-secondhand-aerosol.pdf