So, what's the big deal. "It's only alcohol."

The big deal is this: alcohol is the number one drug of choice for young people, and it is also the most dangerous!

Alcohol IS a drug. However, because it is legal to those 21 and older, its use is accepted and considered "normal" by teens.

Here are some unnerving things you should probably know about alcohol:

• Over 100,000 people die EVERY YEAR as a result of alcohol use.
• Drunk driving-or driving under the influence of alcohol is the NUMBER ONE KILLER of teens and young adults.
• Two out of every five people in the United States will be involved in an alcohol-related crash during their lifetime.
• Just one drink can affect a person's ability to drive safely.
• A can of beer, a glass of wine, and a mixed drink all have the same amount of alcohol.
• One hundred thousand people die every year as a result of alcohol use.
• Nearly 1 in every 13 adults in America abuse alcohol or are alcoholic.
• If you drink enough alcohol, fast enough, it can kill you.
• Consuming alcohol can affect every organ in your body, especially your brain.
• Alcohol is often a factor in murders, fights and domestic assaults.
• Contrary to popular belief, alcohol can't solve your problems, it can only create new and bigger ones for you.
• While consuming alcohol, you might say or do something that you would later regret when you sober up.
• Just think about the consequences of heavy drinking: blackouts, throwing up (not always in a convenient place like a toilet...maybe a best friend's car,) horrible breath, loss of memory, loss of trust from friends, loss of trust from parents, loss of time when you are locked up in jail, loss of money, loss of a bright future, or even loss of your life.
• By the time the average American turns 18, they will have seen over a hundred thousand beer commercials on TV.
• Alcohol is high in calories, making it easy for an alcoholic to gain weight without even noticing it.

With all of these reasons not to drink alcohol, why is it that still so many American young people choose to do it?