Professor Lorraine Collins of the University of Buffalo/New York has determined that young adults who are heavy drinkers of malt liquor are at greater risk to use marijuana and develop substance abuse problems.

She and her colleagues surveyed 639 adults under 25 years who regularly drank 40 or more ounces of malt liquor every week. The participants were heavy drinkers who averaged 30 alcoholic drinks a week, about half of which was malt liquor. Most had started drinking between 13 and 14 years old. About half of the malt liquor drinkers also reported smoking about 20 marijuana cigarettes a week too.

Malt liquor has a high alcohol content (6 to 11%) and is often marketed to young people. This study appears in the June 2007 issue of the Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.

If you are a parent and worried aobut teen alcohol and drug abuse, visit ByParents-ForParents.com to learn what signs to look for and how to help your child.

Labels: awareness, binge_drinking, gateway_drugs