A study by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that children who experiment with alcohol before age 15 are more likely to develop alcohol dependency as adults.

NIAA researchers analyzed records of more than 22,000 young people and found that those who took a first drink before age 15 had more drinking problems later in life than did those who delayed experimenting with alcohol.

The findings may indicate that parents should not offer a child and even young adolescent an alcoholic beverage because it could act as "trigger" for a problem, especially among those who have a genetic predisposition toward addictions.

Labels: addiction, alcohol_abuse, teenage_drinking

In Port St. Joe, Florida, a group of parents and teenagers gathered to discuss the dangers of teenage drinking. The town-hall-style meeting was coordinate and hosted by the Gulf County Substance Abuse Coalition.

"In the coalition's third town hall meeting this year, participants shared their thoughts on such topics as why students drink, where they obtain alcohol, the consequences of drinking and law enforcement's response. Teens and adults divided into separate discussion groups and reunited at meeting's end to review the responses."

Six teenagers attended the meeting and told adults that most teens get alcohol from friends or other people who are 21 or older. They also warned parents and teachers that drinking during school hours is more prevalent than they realize. Source: The Star (Gulf County, FL)

Labels: alcohol_abuse, schools, underage_drinking

A recent U.S. study set out to discover whether sports stadiums sell alcohol to underage drinkers. Researchers discovered that many do.

"Nearly one in five people posing as underage drinkers, and three out of four people pretending to be drunk fans were able to buy alcoholic beverages at professional sporting events, according to the findings, published Wednesday in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research."

The study sent decoys into 16 sports stadiums in five states where they tried to buy alcohol both in the stands and at a booth. For most, buying alcohol in the stands was easier. Source: Whistler Magazine

Labels: alcohol_abuse, alcohol_sales, underage_drinking

An Associated Press analysis of government records found that alcohol poisonings among young adults doubled between 1999 and 2005, the last years for which statistics are available.

The study, which looked at college-aged adults, ages 18 to 23 years, found that more than 80 percent of victims were under age 21, and most were males. Death rates increased on weekends.

In 1999, 18 young people drank themselves to death, compared to 35 in 2005. In nearly every case, the person died when he or she was "sleeping it off." In 40 percent of the cases, there was a criminal investigation as to how the young adult was served too much alcohol.

One reason more young people are dying by alcohol poisoning may be the popular practice of having 21 alcoholic drinks on a person's 21st birthday.

Read "Beer Pong" and "21 Ritual" Can Be Deadly to learn more.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, binge_drinking, college_students

Officials at the Rock Hill (South Carolina) Keystone Substance Abuse Center say that teenage drinking is getting worse. By "worse" they don't necessarily mean it's becoming more prevalent, but the teens that are drinking a lot more.

"...many underage drinkers no longer simply drink to get high but instead drink to induce oblivion. This binge-style often revolves around drinking games in which drinkers ingest large amounts of alcohol quickly, sometimes to the point where they suffer alcohol poisoning and have to be rushed to the hospital."

Many of the drinking games played by teens cause them to ingest five to seven shots in an hour. It takes the body about an hour to break down the alcohol contained in just one shot or can of beer. Source: The Rock Hill Herald

Labels: alcohol, alcohol_abuse, binge_drinking

Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York are determining whether severe blows to the head are at the basis of many problems, including school failure, alcoholism, drug abuse, learning disabilities and even homelessness.

Dr. Wayne Gordon, of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, believes that "Unidentified brain injury is an unrecognized major source of social and vocational failures."

Brain injuries are a very common result of automobile crashes, participation in sports, bike accidents, child abuse and falls. The problem is that parents do not associate their child's current problems with an injury that may have occurred several years before.

The Mount Sinai team looked at 400 children enrolled in programs for learning disabilities and found that 50% had suffered head injuries. Five years ago, they studied 845 patients in drug and alcohol centers and found that 54% had suffered hard blows to their heads. They evaluated 100 homeless people and found that of the 70% were in the bottom 10th percentile for memory and language, 82% had suffered head blows, usually from parental abuse.

The Mount Sinai team is also using the results of a study done in 2000, when researchers went door-to-door in Connecticut, interviewing 5000 people. About 7% of them had suffered head injuries involving unconsciousness or a period of confusion. This group had twice the rate of depression and alcohol and drug abuse.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, drug_abuse, injuries

A new study published in the Journal of Prevention Science finds that the reason a teenager drinks is important as to whether or not he or she becomes an alcoholic.

Lori Palen, chief researcher in the study done at Pennsylvania State University, surveyed 1877 high school seniors and found that 75% drink. One-third said they drink for the thrill of it, 36% to experiment, and 15% to relax.

However, the minority (18%) reported drinking for multiple reasons, such as an inability to deal with anger and frustration, experienced more problems with alcohol. They were more likely to have started drinking as early as sixth grade, and more likely to drink on a daily basis.

Teens who have difficulty controlling their emotions and dealing with their feelings may benefit from a residential treatment center that offers therapy and academics. SunHawk Academy is a residential treatment program in a boarding school setting that caters to the needs of teens with substance abuse problems.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, pressure, risky_behaviors

Pregnant rats that ingest alcohol give birth to offspring that are attracted to that substance, according to a new study from the State University of New York.

Scientists have already shown that for humans, the best predictor of teen and adult alcoholism is having a mother who drank during pregnancy.

The theory of the new study is that mammals can 'learn' that alcohol is something good even in utero, according to Professor Steven Youngentob. He and his colleagues point out that the senses are among the first systems to develop. A fetus may "learn" by smell and sight what to eat and drink according to what its mother ingests.

"All that information gets transmitted to the fetus during gestation or lactation," Dr. Youngentob explained. He believes this adaptation probably works in humans as well as rats.

If a young rat was not exposed to alcohol by adulthood, it lost its attraction. This study appears in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience.

Boarding schools for teens with substance abuse and addiction problems can help by offering a powerful combination of therapy and accredited academics.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, influences, mothers

Researchers at the Minneapolis VA Medical Center recently study the depression's effect on alcohol and cigarette use. Four-hundred-and-sixty-two people participated in the study, which documented initial alcohol and cigarette use, the measured use six months after participants had completed cessation treatment.

"Among those who were depressed, the odds of drinking, the next time you checked in with them six months later, were 1.5 times greater than the odds of drinking for individuals without significant depressive symptoms."

Though depression had a significant effect on alcohol use, cigarette use was not affected. The study's lead author, Molly Kodl, says the results underscore the importance of assessing a patient's depressive tendencies when he or she enters a treatment program.

Teenage depression is a real and scary thing. If your teen is experiencing signs of depression, you have to act quickly to get them the help they need. A residential treatment program that offers a full assessment of behaviors and emotions can help.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, depression, treatment

With the holiday season upon us, The Science Inside Alcohol Project is suggesting that parents take a new approach when talking to their teens about alcohol abuse. Instead of trying to scare them, try to educate them.

"Provide kids with the scientific evidence behind why drinking alcohol can hurt them. Adolescents believe they are invincible, which is perfectly normal developmentally. So remember to link what you are saying as closely as possible to their personal experiences."

Talk to them about how the body is damaged by alcohol abuse, the effects of drinking at an early age, and other information that's relevant to them. If your teen is an athlete, educate him or her on how alcohol abuse can affect athletic performance.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, binge drinking, education

The new show "Gossip Girl" on the CW, which tells the stories of Upper Manhattan's elite teens, glamorizes teen drinking - but the truth of underage drinking is much more sobering. The U.S. Surgeon General's office says that a quarter of the country's alcohol sales are attributed to underage drinkers.

"Although the overall percentage of drinkers has held fairly steady for the past five years, the most recent statistics from that survey show teens have begun drinking at younger ages, and binge drinking has surged - with nearly 7.2 million teens reporting they sometimes down five or more alcoholic beverages in a single setting."

Though the media often glamorizes underage drinking, parental influence far outweighs that of the media. Unfortunately, a high percentage of teens say that they drink at parties that are supervised by adults. Some admit that their parents buy alcohol for them. What small influence the media may have can be counter-acted by parents who model the motto "just say no".

Teens struggling with alcohol and drug addiction need a safe, secure, and structured environment to get back on track. SunHawk Academy is a residential treatment center in a boarding school setting. Learn more at www.sunhawkacademy.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, binge_drinking, underage drinking

Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism have identified five distinct subtypes of alcoholism. This study differs from previous attempts at identifying sub-types because it includes people who don't or haven't sought treatment for their alcoholism. It's estimated that only 25% of people with alcoholism ever seek treatment.

"We find that young adults comprise the largest group of alcoholics in this country, and nearly 20 percent of alcoholics are highly functional and well-educated with good incomes. More than half of the alcoholics in the United States have no multigenerational family history of the disease, suggesting that their form of alcoholism was unlikely to have genetic causes."

The five subtypes developed by the NIAAA were: young adult, young antisocial, functional, intermediate familial, and chronic severe. Those who fall into the chronic severe subtype are the ones most likely to seek help. Read more at EMaxHealth.com.

Teen alcohol abuse is a serious condition. Research shows "that those who began drinking at an early age were significantly more likely to develop a dependence on alcohol, and the dependence is more likely to be chronic and associated with long-term health issues." Read more at www.drugrehabtreatment.com.

Labels: alcohol, alcohol_abuse, treatment

Teens who are depressed are twice as likely to use alcohol and drugs as those who report no depression, according to a study by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The researchers looked at data from 2005. They found that 2.2 million people ages 12 to 17 experienced a major depression. The rate of depression was higher among older teens – 4.3% among twelve-year-olds and 11.9% among seventeen-year-olds. Girls had higher rates of depression than boys— 13.3% compared to 4.5%.

Teen alcohol and drug abuse is a serious matter. Find professionals who can help teenagers with drug addiction and substance abuse at the Teen-Help-Directory.com.

Labels: alcohol_abuse, depression, drug_abuse