Teenage Drinking




It is possible to drink legally and safely – when you're over 21. But if you're under 21, or if you drink too much at any age, alcohol can be especially risky.

Many kids begin drinking as early as middle school or even sooner. This is dangerous. Kids who drink are more likely to be victims of violent crime and sexual assault. They are more likely to have serious problems in school. They are more likely to be involved in drinking-related traffic crashes. They are also more likely to develop problems with alcohol later in life.

Such risky drinking often leads to tragic consequences-most notably alcohol-related traffic fatalities . Thirty-two percent of drivers ages 16–20 who died in traffic crashes in 2003 had measurable alcohol in their blood, and 51 percent of drivers ages 21–24 who died tested positive for alcohol. Clearly, then, young adult drinkers pose a serious public health threat, putting themselves and others at risk.

Kids often begin drinking to look "cool" or fit in with their peers. Parents can do many things to help their kids avoid alcohol problems. Get help for your child if you suspect a drinking problem

An Age of Exploration

Young adulthood is a stage of life marked by change and exploration. People move out of their parents’ homes and into dormitories or houses with peers. They go to college, begin to work full-time, and form serious relationships. They explore their own identities and how they fit in the world. The roles of parents weaken and the influences of peers gain greater strength. Young adults are on their own for the first time, free to make their own decisions, including the decision to drink alcohol.

Young adulthood also is the time during which young people obtain the education and training they need for future careers. Mastery of these endeavors is vital to future success; problems with school and work can produce frustration and stress, which can lead to a variety of unhealthy behaviors, including increased drinking. Conversely, alcohol use during this important time of transition can impede the successful mastery of these developmental tasks (8), also increasing stress.

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Alcohol And The Maturing Brain

Research shows that the brain continues to develop throughout adolescence and well into young adulthood. Many scientists are concerned that drinking during this critical developmental period may lead to lifelong impairments in brain function, particularly as it relates to memory, motor skills, and coordination. Young adults are particularly likely to binge drink4 and to suffer repeated bouts of withdrawal from alcohol. (4 NIAAA defines binge drinking as consuming about four drinks for men or three drinks for women in about 2 hours.) This repeated withdrawal may be a key reason for alcohol’s harmful effects on the brain.

Even though research shows that drinking early in life can lead to impairment of brain function in adulthood, findings also show that not all young people who drink heavily or become alcohol dependent will experience the same level of impairment, and some may not show any damage at all. This is because factors such as genetics, drinking patterns, and the use of other drugs also influence risk.

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Factors That Influence Use

Outside influences as well as individual characteristics help determine whether a person will begin drinking and how much he or she will consume. Some of these factors increase a person’s risk for problems with alcohol, whereas others serve to protect him or her from harm, as outlined below.

Gender-Men are much more likely than women to drink in ways that are harmful. As shown in a recent national survey of 19- to 30-year-olds, 45 percent of men and 26.7 percent of women reported heavy drinking (defined in that study as five or more drinks on one occasion) in the past 2 weeks, and 7.4 percent of men and 3 percent of women reported daily drinking

Race/Ethnicity

Racial, ethnic, and cultural differences in drinking and alcohol-related problems also have been documented. In general, White and Native American young adults drink more than African Americans and Asians, and drinking rates for Hispanics fall in the middle. In addition, while drinking among Whites tends to peak around ages 19–22, heavy drinking among African Americans and Hispanics peaks later and persists longer into adulthood. Researchers suggest that these ethnic differences result, in part, from the fact that Whites see heavy drinking as part of a youthful lifestyle, whereas Hispanics tend to see heavy drinking as a “right” they earn when they reach maturity.

Employment

Being employed full-time after high school was associated with a slight increase in current drinking and a slight decrease in heavy drinking. Unemployed men, but not women, especially tended to reduce their drinking. Homemakers reduced both their current and heavy drinking, but this may have been because of increasing responsibilities stemming from marital and parental roles rather than the result of being a homemaker.

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Prevention And Intervention

One way to prevent alcohol-related problems-among young people or the population as a whole-is to establish policies that reduce overall alcohol consumption rates or reduce the rates of high-risk drinking. Alcohol control policies influence the availability of alcohol, the social messages about drinking that are conveyed by advertising and other marketing approaches, and the enforcement of existing alcohol laws

Most alcohol control policies target either young people under the legal drinking age of 21 or the drinking behavior of the population as a whole, rather than specific subpopulations such as young adults. Nevertheless, some of these policies have a larger effect on young adult drinkers compared with the rest of the population-for example, measures that address drinking in bars and clubs, because young adults are more likely than other age groups to patronize these establishments.

Perhaps the best way to reduce harmful drinking and alcohol-related problems in young adults is through comprehensive approaches that rely heavily on community action. Whether they are working, attending college, or in the military, young adults typically are part of a community. And young people’s usual sources of alcohol-retail outlets, restaurants, bars, and social settings such as parties-also operate within the environment of the community.

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Conclusion

Research consistently shows that people tend to drink the heaviest in their late teens and early to mid-twenties. This high level of alcohol use comes at an age when people are moving away from parental restrictions but before they take on the full responsibilities of adult life. As young people begin to assume more adult roles-full-time employment, marriage, and parenthood-they often reduce their drinking. This reduction in alcohol use may be a result of the limitations that adult roles place on social activities or may reflect a change in young people’s attitudes toward drinking.

Young adults who drink in ways that are especially harmful-those who fit the diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence-may have predisposing personality characteristics and other factors that place them at greater risk for problems with alcohol.

Prevention strategies that may be especially useful in curbing young adult alcohol use are those that focus on restricting the availability of alcohol. Such measures include raising the cost of alcohol through taxes, limiting when and where alcohol can be consumed, and enforcing policies that help to reduce problems such as drinking and driving.

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Information obtained from National Institute of Health
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