Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Warning over early exposure to alcohol

Giving children alcohol at an early age increases their risk of becoming drink-dependent at a later stage in life, according to new research.
The claim challenges the long-held notion that introducing children to alcohol in small measures over time may prevent teenage binge drinking.

The new study, by the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), suggests that parents may have got it wrong. It found that if young people have their first taste of alcohol before the age of 15, it sharply raises their risk of becoming alcohol dependent later in life.

Deborah Lawson, a research scientist at the NIAAA, said: “We can see for the first time the association between an early ‘age of first drink’ and an increased risk of alcohol disorders that persist into adulthood.”

The study involved data gathered from more than 22,000 young Americans over three years, which matched the age when a first alcoholic drink was taken with first incidence of alcohol abuse or dependence.

The NIAAA’s associate director, Howard Moss, said the study showed that it was important to delay the onset of drinking behaviour for as long as possible.

The findings have emerged amid concern over the level of binge drinking among teenagers in Britain. In Scotland, a recent survey of 13-year-olds found 20% had had a drink in the previous week. Among 15-year-olds, 40% of boys and 46% of girls said they had had an alcoholic drink in the past week.

Until now, it has been argued that exposing young teenagers to alcohol by giving them watered-down drinks is the best way them to educate them to consume alcohol responsibly.

But the NIAAA study suggests early exposure to alcohol even in small quantities is a risk in itself. It means that giving children alcohol to prevent problems may have the opposite effect.

One theory is that teenagers’ brains are developing so fast that exposure to intoxicants can create a link between alcohol consumption and pleasure.

Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, a cognitive neuroscience researcher at University College London, said: “The young brain is very malleable and changes fast in response to new influences.”
____________
source: Scotland On Sunday

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Hawaii near top for alcohol abuse

A survey finds the state has the lowest number of residents with an illegal drug dependency Hawaii has one of the nation’s highest rates of alcohol addiction but ranks as the state with the least drug dependence, according to a federal government survey released yesterday. More than four out of 100 people over 12 years….

For Young Adults Addicted To Opioids, New Training Approach Launched By NIDA Blending Conference

A multi-faceted treatment program for young adults addicted to opioid drugs was unveiled at the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s (NIDA) Blending Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. This eighth meeting in the series briought together researchers and clinicians so their latest findings could be immediately applied to the needs of patients and their families dealing with….

Quit alcohol to lead a better life

Drinking alcohol has time and again proven to be hazardous for all. Several tragedies and unpleasant incidents can be credited to heavy drinking habits. Though it may seem difficult, the habit can be given up by following some simple and smart steps. Every Year, thousands die in alcohol-related tragedies – acute alcohol poisonings, car accidents,….

When alcohol is the problem in your relationship

What is it about this type of drink that causes people to become attached to it? What is it about alcohol that is so much more difficult to handle than say tea or milk? Could it possibly be that there is the huge possibility of an addiction coming to the surface; an addiction that even….

Mental health: Broken system, shattered lives

Miller Jordan Jr. never gave up on his only son. The Clarke Central High School assistant principal tried for years to get treatment for Miller Jordan III’s mental illness. But the younger Jordan stabbed his father and grandfather to death Dec. 30 – hours after doctors sent Jordan home from a hospital where he told….