NORFOLK - The death of 17-year-old Taylor Meyer is another bitter reminder that alcohol and young people do not mix, experts on teenage drinking said Monday.

They said drinking by teenagers brings on a whole host of possible problems ranging from driving accidents, unwanted pregnancies, illness and injury.

Meyer was found dead Monday morning in a swampy area near the former Norfolk Airport after going missing Friday night at a teenage party in the woods.

Her death followed several fatal accidents in recent months that involved teenagers and drinking.

Richard Gallagher, director of the parenting institute at New York University's Child Study Center, said that despite all the information available about the dangers of teenage drinking, there is no real letup in sight. "It is one of the harder things to keep kids from getting involved with, at least in trying alcohol," he said.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that 45 percent of teens responding to a survey admit to drinking within the past month. About 64 percent of those who drank said they engaged in binge drinking, or consuming five or more drinks consecutively.

Gallagher said the brains of adolescents are different from adults and they cannot handle alcohol as well, which contributes to risky behavior.

He said it is easier for young people to get drunk than adults and they progress from a "little high" to "very drunk" rapidly, he said.

That is one of the reasons teenage drinking leads to so many problems, he said.

Teenagers can quickly drink, get alcohol poisoning, pass out and get hurt or killed.

Gallagher said parents have to talk to their children about drinking and its dangers without engaging in scare tactics.

"Talk to kids in a mature way and tell them what the facts are," he said, recommending the Centers for Disease Control Web site as a source of information.

He said parents should set clear standards so children know what is expected of them and what the consequences of disobeying are.

Parents also need to know what their children are doing and who they are with when they go out, he said. The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information said parents also have to set the tone by acting responsibly themselves.

"Set a good example for your child. Think about what you say and how you act in front of him. Your child learns social skills and how to deal with stress by listening to and watching you," the agency says on its Web site. "Do not take part in illegal, unhealthy, or dangerous practices related to alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs or he may believe that, no matter what you say, these practices are OK."

Experts on teenage drinking said one of the least understood side effects of drinking at a young age is the high possibility that it can lead to alcoholism.

The Achives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine says children who experiment with alcohol by age 14 have a 47 percent chance of developing an addiction to it.

People who wait until age 21 to begin drinking have only a 9 percent chance of becoming an alcoholic.