April is National Alcohol Awareness Month. On average, 88,000 people die every year from alcohol-related causes, making alcohol the third-leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Alcohol use at a young age is dangerous. Teens’ brains are at a fragile stage of development, including lack of judgment and likelihood of addiction. Yet, the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey found that of ninth- through 12th-grade students in 2015, 51 percent had a sip of alcohol before the age of 18. Other problems can be associated with underage alcohol consumption, such as drunk driving, unprotected sex, academic failure and experimenting with other drugs. Youths who start drinking alcohol before the age of 17 are five times more likely to become alcoholics as adults.

Many adults believe that underage drinking is a rite of passage and inevitable — “They are going to do it anyway.” To counter such messages, parents and other adults need to talk about the issue, with each other and with children. Adults should share what is known about the dangers of alcohol consumption while praising and encouraging friends, neighbors and young people to make healthy responsible choices.

It is never too early for awareness and prevention. Parents, guardians and others who care for young people should take an opportunity to talk to them about the dangers of alcohol consumption.

Allie Burke, program manager, River Valley Rising, Rumford