12 mirrors 21 is a statewide media campaign aimed at increasing the age of first use of alcohol in Missouri. 

Did you know………………

• That the average age that a child in Missouri has his or her first drink of alcohol beyond a few sips is 12?

• That a young person who starts drinking before age 15 has a 40% higher chance of developing an alcohol problem?

• That underage drinking costs Missourians $1.16 billion per year?

Missourians are not only paying with our wallets, we are paying with our children.  We are raising a generation of youth who are developing alcohol dependence so early in life that they may never develop to their full potential because of the damage to their brains and their bodies. 

These days youth tend to look older than their age.  The clothes they wear, the language they use, even the subjects in school make them worldlier than today’s parents were at their age.  But don’t let the looks, the clothes, the vocabulary or their knowledge of computers fool you.  They are still children in immature, adolescent minds and bodies.

Children in sixth grade are not ready to drink alcohol.  Their bodies and minds are still in an early developmental stage and the addition of alcohol, even in small amounts, can be detrimental.  Alcohol is a toxin and it kills brain cells. 

12 is the mirror image of 21.  We need to ensure that when we see a 12-year-old, we are seeing them for who they are, not the adult behavior they are mirroring.

Please take a moment to look through the packet.  You will find enclosed some helpful information to educate adults in your community about the age children begin using alcohol. 

By implementing the 12 mirrors 21 campaign you will be part of a statewide movement to make all Missourians aware that 12-year-olds should not be drinking alcohol and that alcohol is an adult drink with adult consequences.