Politics & Governance / Public Policy / Healthcare Policy

Teen Drinking Laws: The Surprising Link Between Beer Taxes and STD Rates

We all assume alcohol is the root cause of risky teenage behavior, but what if that's a dangerous myth? This video dives into landmark economic research that reveals the shocking truth: alcohol doesn't make teens start having sex, but it completely destroys their ability to use protection. Using data from over 65,000 teenagers and 20 years of CDC tracking, we uncover how a simple policy lever—like raising the tax on beer—can directly and significantly reduce rates of STDs like gonorrhea and HIV among youth. Discover why some laws work, others fail, and how economic tools might be one of our most powerful weapons in public health.