Underage drinking is illegal, but alcohol laws aren't always enough to deter people under the age of 21 from drinking.

"The reason that there are rules in place, yeah, you can vote at 18, but you can't drink alcohol legally until you are 21 is to stop a long-term addiction from happening. If you start early as a 12, 13, 14 years old, you are six times more likely to become alcoholic when you are an adult," said April Caraway with the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board.

Caraway said new data from Trumbull County shows children are 12 years old when they take their first sip of alcohol.

From that same report, nearly 50 percent of 10th graders in Trumbull County say it's easy to get to their hands on alcohol.

"We do these surveys every two years, and they are not very different than the last time we did them. About 50 percent of 10th graders say it is really easy to get alcohol. They are primarily using at their friend's house or at their own parent's home," said Caraway.

Research shows teens whose parents speak to them about alcohol use are 50 percent less likely to use it.

It's recommended that adults who interact with young people pay close attention to the warning signs that may indicate underage drinking.

"There is a group. They are going to find each other. They are going to drink. They are going to come home late. Their grades might drop. Teachers may say, 'Hey, I've noticed a difference in your son or daughter,' and you are going to probably find pills if they are getting into those or alcohol missing from your home," said Caraway.

The Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board encourages parents to establish rules about alcohol and drug use and to not be afraid of being the "bad" parent.