Alcohol and Teen Drinking
A child who reaches age 21 without
smoking, abusing alcohol or using drugs
is virtually certain never to do so.
- Joseph A. Califano, Jr., Chairman and President,
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence are not only adult problems — they also affect a significant number of adolescents and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20, even though drinking under the age of 21 is illegal.
The average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls.
By age 14, 41 percent of children have had least one drink.
The average age at which Americans begin drinking regularly is 15.9 years old.
Teens who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.
An early age of drinking onset is also associated with alcohol-related violence not only among persons under age 21 but among adults as well.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking. HHS, Office of the Surgeon General, 2007.
While drinking may be a singular problem behavior for some, research suggests that for others it may be an expression of general adolescent turmoil that includes other problem behaviors and that these behaviors are linked to unconventionality, impulsiveness, and sensation-seeking.
Binge drinking, often beginning around age 13, tends to increase during adolescence, peak in young adulthood (ages 18-22), then gradually decrease. Individuals who increase their binge drinking from age 18 to 24 and those who consistently binge drink at least once a week during this period may have problems attaining the goals typical of the transition from adolescence to young adulthood (e.g., marriage, educational attainment, employment, and financial independence).
Dependence on alcohol and other drugs is also associated with several mental health problems, such as:
-
depression
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anxiety
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oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
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antisocial personality disorder
Whether anxiety and depression lead to, or are consequences of, alcohol abuse is not known.
Alcohol use among adolescents has also been associated with considering, planning, attempting, and completing suicide. Research does not indicate whether drinking causes suicidal behavior, only that the two behaviors are correlated.
Parents’ drinking behavior and favorable attitudes about drinking have been positively associated with adolescents’ initiating and continuing drinking. Children who were warned about alcohol by their parents and children who reported being closer to their parents were less likely to start drinking.
Lack of parental support, monitoring, and communication have been significantly related to frequency of drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness among adolescents. Harsh, inconsistent discipline and hostility or rejection toward children have also been found to significantly predict adolescent drinking and alcohol-related problems.
It has been estimated that over three million teenagers are out-and-out alcoholics. Several million more have a serious drinking problem that they cannot manage on their own.
Annually, more than 5,000 deaths of people under age 21 are linked to underage drinking.
The three leading causes of death for 15- to 24-year-olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides — alcohol is a leading factor in all three.
Peer drinking and peer acceptance of drinking have also been associated with adolescent drinking.
The most common and effective way for an individual to combat his or her addictive behaviors is through a self-help support group, with advice and support from a health care professional. Treatment should also involve family members because family history often plays a role in the origins of the problem and successful treatment cannot take place in isolation.
The National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service provides a toll-free telephone number, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), offering various resource information. Through this service you can speak directly to a representative concerning alcohol and other drugs, request printed material on alcohol or other drugs, or obtain local substance abuse treatment referral information in your State.
Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. To learn more about alcohol and other drugs of abuse, contact NCADI at 1-800-729-6686.
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