Introduction Underage drinking occurs when anyone under the age of 21 has started drinking. Alcohol use has become a large problem among adolescents in the United States (Masten, Faden, Robert, Zucker, & Spear, 2009). Alcohol consumption among adolescents declined in the mid-1970s, but began to increase again in 1993. (Masten et al., 2009). By age 15, at least one in five has tried alcohol and become a heavy drinker by age 18 (O'Connell, 2005). By the time adolescents reach seventh grade, more than three-quarters of students report having tried alcohol and at least three-fifths report having gotten drunk once (Brown, et al., 2009). Children who begin drinking in high school continue to drink once they complete high school (Brown, et al., 2009). Drinking alcohol by adolescents is risky not only because of the risks that can cause acute harm, but it can also develop long-term development and well-being (O'connell, 2005). The long-term effect of underage drinking can affect adolescent developmental problems and cause health problems. Literature Review Developmental Issues Development is a term that has many definitions, but for this particular section it refers to a pattern of changes that occurs in a specific order and develops in a person's life as they go through the different stages of their life cycle . People continue to change throughout their lives, but the most important changes occur during childhood and adolescence. When adolescents drink during this period of their lives, it can affect their developmental process (Brown et al., 2009). Early alcohol use in adolescents can cause brain damage as this is a time when... medium paper ......effects that may occur. I think the community needs to develop effective programs to help prevent alcohol use among young adolescents. I think children should be encouraged to do more extracurricular activities. If there is no interest in anything at school, then the community should be able to offer something to the children to keep them occupied and not sit idle. Not everything can fall on the community, so the family must be more involved in their tasks. children's lives. They need to build better relationships with them and be better role models. Make sure children understand what to do and what not to do in their regulatory decisions. Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing by monitoring them more closely. It is a concerted effort to try to protect our children from underage drinking. Everyone needs to come together and make it happen.