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Alcoholism and Youth
Children become aware of alcohol at an early age. Before the age of six, most can accurately identify the smell of an alcoholic beverage, according to information reported by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Equally as concerning, the results of a study on early experiences with alcohol, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, revealed thirty percent of eight- and nine-year-old children recognize alcohol-related issues in their own environments. Most learned from siblings; though, television was cited as a key source by one-third of the youth respondents. Issues of alcoholism and youth can be attributed to the prevalence of alcoholism in society and the resulting high level of exposure to family members. In the United States alone, the National Association for Children of Alcoholics estimates there are more than 28 million children of alcoholic parents and 11 million are under the age of 18. Children who have an alcoholic mother or father are four times more likely than their counterparts who have non-drinking parents to develop alcoholism themselves. These youth have a higher incidence of child abuse and are more likely to experience more mental and physical health issues than children raised in nonalcoholic families. Parental drinking patterns and access to alcohol are also associated with the onset of drinking. In addition to environmental factors, heredity plays a role in the probability that a young person will abuse alcohol. Children of alcoholic parents generally begin drinking at an earlier age than their counterparts whose parents are not alcohol dependent. Alcoholism and Youth: Other Negative Influences
Follow the link for more information on alcoholism and youth – and the causes of teenage alcoholism. Sources: - National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, http://science.education.nih.gov/supplements/nih3/alcohol/guide/info-alcohol.htm - Casswell, S., and Gilmore, L. 1983. Early experiences with alcohol: A survey of an eight and nine year old sample. New Zealand Medical Journal, 96: 1001–1003. - National Association for Children of Alcoholics. 1999. Children of alcoholics: Important facts, 2001. Children of alcoholics: A kit for educators. Rockville, MD: NACA. - Chassin, L., and Barrera, M. Jr. 1993. Substance use escalation and substance use restraint among adolescent children of alcoholics. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 7: 3–20. - Hawkins, J.D., Graham, J.W., Maguin, E., Hill, K.G., and Catalano, R.F. 1997. Exploring the effects of age of alcohol use initiation and psychosocial risk factors on subsequent alcohol misuse. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 58: 280–290. Related InformationAlcoholism in TeenagersFamily Involvement in Addiction Treatment Alcoholism Test for Teens Alcohol's Effect on the Brain
Article: Alcoholism and Youth
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