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The teen years can be tough—especially for girls. In fact, 50% more teen girls than guys tell experts they’ve been depressed in the past two weeks. So, it kind of makes sense that girls might think that drinking would help them escape or have fun. But the joke’s on the drinker: Alcohol can actually make you feel worse. Girls between the ages of 12 and 16 who drink are four times as likely to suffer depression as girls who don’t drink. In the worst cases, depression can even lead to suicide.

Teen girls themselves say teens should choose not to drink because it’s easy to lose control, make bad decisions, and do something they’ll later regret. In fact, drinking can lead to all sorts of dangerous behaviors, such as unprotected sex.

Teenage girls who drink heavily are five times more likely to engage in sexual intercourse than non-drinkers. Maybe even more frightening, heavy-drinking girls are one-third less likely to use condoms, putting them at higher risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

In all, alcohol plays a role in 70,000 cases of sexual assault or date rape on college campuses every year. This is clear proof that, even for the brightest among us, alcohol’s negative effects clearly harm a woman’s ability to make good choices.

Even apart from sex, alcohol can affect your judgment, causing you to make bad choices and take dangerous risks that you wouldn’t take if you weren’t drinking. Alcohol lessens your coordination and can even reduce your sensitivity to pain—both factors that can lead to serious injury. What’s more, alcohol often plays a big role in the lead-up to fights or brawls.

Heavy drinking during the teen years has been shown to interfere with periods and reproductive function. Symptoms can include menstrual pain, heavy flow, and irregular or absent periods. Drinking heavily when you’re young can have long lasting effects.

Many teenage girls have concerns about weight. Alcohol actually has more calories per gram than carbs (also known as sugars and starches), so drinking alcohol can lead to weight gain. Alcohol also makes you hungry and reduces inhibitions; so, people tend to eat more when they drink.

And, don’t try to starve yourself to stay thin: Young girls who don’t eat properly or take in enough calories are at increased risk of intoxication, alcohol poisoning, and even death.