The younger a teenager is when they have their first alcoholic drink,
the bigger the problems with drink abuse later, a new report today claims.
These findings appear to shatter the commonly held belief among some
parents that introducing alcohol at an early age – such as a small glass of
wine with a meal at the age of 14 or 15 – can help to stave off binge-drinking
behaviour when full adolescence strikes.
The study, from Yale University, suggests instead that the earlier one
drinks, the “greater the chances of later alcohol-related problems”. More than
1,000 college students were surveyed, and asked about their first introduction
to drinking and their later experiences.
Co-author Meghan Rabbitt Morean, a postdoctoral fellow in psychiatry,
said: “Beginning to use alcohol at an earlier age was associated with heavier
drinking and the experience of more negative consequences during senior year of
college. "For example, an adolescent who consumed his first drink at age
15 was at greater risk for heavy drinking and problems than an adolescent who
took his first drink at age 17.”
The researchers also found that the earlier a teenager got drunk posed
an even greater risk for heavy drinking problems later. Morean added: “An
adolescent who took his first drink at age 15 and also drank to intoxication at
age 15 was at greater risk for heavy drinking and problems than an adolescent
who had his first drink at age 15 and did not drink to the point of
intoxication until he was 17." Medical evidence suggests that
beginning to drink at an early age is associated with immediate health
problems, from “compromised brain development and liver damage during
adolescence” to risky sexual behaviour, poor performance in school and the use
of illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine.
The study appears to give credence to US legislation that bans young
people from drinking until they are 21 – although Morean conceded that setting
legal limits did not necessarily stave off early drinking. The minimum age for
buying alcohol in the UK is 18, although a child can drink between the age of 5
and 17 at home with a guardian's permission.
In 2009, the UK’s Chief Medical Officer warned that children under 15
should not drink alcohol and claimed that as many as a third of 11 to
15-year-olds on a typical weekend drank.
Morean said: "The best way to prevent heavy drinking and the
experience of alcohol-related problems is to prevent alcohol use. "Therefore,
our first recommendation would be to delay the onset of any alcohol use as long
as possible. However, despite valiant prevention efforts, the average American
adolescent has his or her first alcoholic drink between the ages of 14 and 15
years."
She and co-author Harriet de Wit, a professor of neuroscience, believe
that full and frank discussion with young people about drinking and its dangers
is the only way to limit overindulgence. "It is important to speak to
children and adolescents openly about the dangers of heavy drinking and provide
them with correct information, for example, 'how many drinks does an average male/female
need to drink to exceed the legal level for intoxication?" said Morean.
They also recommend better alcohol prevention and intervention efforts
to target younger teenagers who begin drinking in high school, or secondary
school. The study did find that other factors played a part, such as an
impulsive personality and a family history of alcoholism.
Yahoo Lifestyle
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