Each year, 5,000 people under the age of 21 die from alcohol disasters: crashes, homicides, suicides, alcohol poisoning and other injuries such as burning or drowning, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

“Underage drinking occurs way too much in high school,” senior Mitch Altman said. “Someone I know got alcohol poisoning and needed his stomach pumped, which terrified me of the consequences.”

New Year’s Eve is considered the largest drinking night for students, according to Security Officer Jerry Griesbeck. Underage drinking consumption occurs in 72 percent of teens by the end of high school and more than a third of students by the eighth grade, the Students Against Destructive Decisions Organization surveyed.

“The consequences are much larger and bigger than they really appear to be,” Griesbeck said.

In Michigan, possession, consumption and purchase of alcohol by minors is prohibited. If caught, they receive a Minor in Possession (MIP) charge, which leads to fines starting at $100 and such as substance abuse treatment, according to the Michigan Legislature.

“It’s a lot harder for the present age group to get away with drinking than it was in the past,” Griesbeck said. “Not only can the teens get into trouble; but if it’s a house party, the parents can receive the same consequences.”

At the age of 17, all arrests and tickets relating to MIPs become official. This affects college acceptance chances, job opportunities and knocks out government career possibilities.

“The effects from alcohol are devastating and you don’t receive any warnings when you are first caught,” Shelby Township Police Officer Ron Weiss said.

If 16 and under, the court may defer a minor’s sentence. If caught at the age of 17 and older, one can receive the full extent of the law–93 days in jail, according to Weiss.

“It eventually affects every aspect of your life and health,” Nurse Anesthetist Angela Bell said.

For teens, binge drinking has been known to cause death from alcohol toxicity, especially in college-aged students. Heavy drinking as a young person can lead to alcoholism in early adulthood, according to Bell.

Alcohol also affects the brain’s hippocampus, which stores memories and the prefrontal cortex which helps make decisions. It is a depressant, therefore it slows down reaction times, psychology teacher Lisa Hallam said.

“Students don’t realize that alcohol opens opportunities for worse events, like murder and sex crimes,” Weiss said. “Poor choices are made and lead down a bad road.”

Sex crimes are some of the largest incidents officers see when someone is under the influence.

“It’s [underage drinking] detrimental to our youth,” Bell said. “It takes countless lives every day; both the lives of the ones drinking and the lives of other innocent people.”