FYI: The Facts About Teenage Drinking
by George Staten
March 01, 2007
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. The average age at which Americans begin
drinking regularly is 15.9 years old.
According to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism, adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are
four 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.
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.
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.
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 psychiatric problems, such as:
depression
anxiety
oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
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.
Peer drinking and peer acceptance of drinking have also been
associated with adolescent drinking.
