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Kentucky News: A Lower Drinking Age
Published in the September 2009 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter
Most alcoholics start drinking during their teen years, but the disease can also strike those who begin using alcohol at a younger age – and experts say the problem often goes unnoticed.
The underage-drinking rate in the United States has remained steady in recent years, but some research indicates that youths are starting to drink at a younger age. One study, from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, concluded that about 10% of nine-year-olds had consumed more than a sip of alcohol. Research from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism indicates that children who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to have drinking problems than those who start drinking at age 21 or later.
“A third of kids ages 12 to 17 had their first drink before 13,” said Susan Foster, director of policy research for the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. “That’s about 6.4 million kids; many more than there have been historically. Very young drinkers are a huge concern.”
Young drinkers often get started with alcohol use by getting drinks from friends or family liquor cabinets. Polls have shown that youths ages 13 and up say it is easy to get alcohol from adults – and sometimes their own parents, who may themselves have drinking problems. The thinking of some parents is that it’s OK for them to “teach” their children how to handle drinking by letting their children drink in the home.
“The traditional thinking is that risk factors for alcohol abuse show up in adolescence,” said Robert A. Zucker, PhD, director of the Addiction Research Center at the University of Michigan. “But, actually, they can show up earlier – in children 9 or younger, even in preschoolers.”
There is a great deal of information available on how consumption of mind or mood-altering substances can change the way the brain develops in people even on into their early to mid-twenties. The longer one delays drinking or drugging, the better.
If you or someone you know exhibits signs and symptoms of substance abuse problems with alcohol or other drugs, you may confidentially contact 502/749-8385 or kyprn@insightbb.com.
