Underage drinking in North Carolina starts earlier, and comes with higher costs, than we imagine. Not just dollars and cents, but lives lost, futures irrevocably altered, brains forever impaired — all of the physical, social and emotional damage that can weigh down tweens and teenagers for the rest of their lives. Your kids may already be more aware of alcohol than you think. And they’re almost certainly ready to hear what you have to say. Start your conversations now. And stop underage drinking in your family.