Kids’ first sip of booze likely to be in Dec.
By Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post
Here’s a holiday tip for parents of teens: Keep a close eye on the eggnog.
Data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration show that 12- to 17-year-olds are more likely to take their first sip of alcohol in December than in any other month except July.
In December, an average of 11,400 teens try alcohol for the first time each day of the month, which works out to about 353,000 new drinkers by months’ end. By contrast, in February the daily number of new teenage drinkers is less than half of that.