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Alcohol Abuse Info




Young People and Alcohol

Underage drinking is a problem across the United States. Surveys have found that well over 75 percent of young people have had alcohol by the time they graduate high school. About half of them admit to at least occasional binge drinking. Aside from the obvious legal issues, there are numerous reasons to prevent or stop young people from drinking.

One of the most alarming statistics in regards to underage drinking is its connection to adult alcoholism.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control found that 47percent of people who began drinking before they were 14-years-old became alcoholics. Compare that with just 9 percent of people who began drinking when they were 21 or older. Most of the people who developed alcohol dependence did so within 10 years of when they first started drinking. That means they were alcoholics before the age of thirty.

Other studies have found that drinking prevents the adolescent brain from developing correctly. Some of those developmental delays are permanent.

Young people are more likely to begin drinking if they’re in a house where family members abuse alcohol or drugs. Likelihood is also increased if the home environment is stressful; if there’s abuse or neglect.

Prevention and Intervention

Prevention of alcohol use among young people is important. There are many programs, media campaigns, and organizations dedicated to this cause. And it is a worthy one. Community-based programs have reduced past-month alcohol consumption among underage youth by about 7 percent. The minimum-drinking-age laws have prevented thousands of deaths, and new “host” laws – aimed at punishing adults who provide liquor to minors – are gaining traction across the country.

But the best, most effective, prevention will come from home. Partnership for a Drug-Free America has found that parents have a stronger influence on their children’s decisions than they realize. Many teens surveyed, who said they didn’t drink, said their parents were a primary reason. Calm, intelligent discussions about drinking and its dangers can go a long way.

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