Teenage Drinking Can Spell Lasting Trouble

Related Encyclopedia • Acne • Alagille Syndrome • Animal Bites • Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair More... Related Healthscout Videos What are your hopes for the future of research? The Role of NARSAD Mental Health Research: Children vs. Adults Mental Health and Children: The Status of Research More... Related Animations • ADHD • Dental Cavities More... Related Drug Information • Adderal XR • Concerta • Effexor XR • Paxil More... Related News Articles • Music as Medicine • Poison Prevention Tips to Protect the Most Vulnerable • Health Tip: Weight-Bearing Exercises Strengthen Bones • More Seniors Falling Victim to Escalator Injuries More...

Page:  << Prev | 1 | 2

The call to action includes recommendations not only for government and school officials but also for parents, other adults and young people themselves.

Parents should work with their schools and other programs to prevent and reduce underage drinking, the Surgeon General's office suggested. They should also ask their underage children if they are drinking and discuss the problem frankly, Hingson said.

And parents should not shrug off underage drinking as "a phase," added David Rosenbloom, professor of public health at Boston University's School of Public Health and director of Join Together, an organization that supports drug and alcohol prevention and treatment programs in communities.

Text Continues Below

---

The Hingson research, he said, "shows very clearly that the earlier someone starts drinking, the more likely that person is to develop alcohol dependence and the more likely he is to have adverse consequences."

"Someone who doesn't start drinking until age 19 or 20 almost never becomes an alcoholic," noted Rosenbloom, citing research.

When teens starting drinking, their judgment is clearly lacking, Rosenbloom said. "We know now the adolescent brain goes through rapid growth, and the last part [to develop is] judgment and restraint."

"The thinking is also that early alcohol use may have long-lasting effects on how the brain actually develops," Rosenbloom said. "That's not set in stone yet," he noted, but parents may want to mention it as they talk to their kids.

More information

To learn more about the Surgeon General's Call to Action, visit the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Page:  << Prev | 1 | 2