critical observation

Teen Alcoholism

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2008

The heavy , inappropriate consumption of alcohol is associated with a variety of acute and chronic health problems . With regard to young people , levels of alcohol-related deaths associated with chronic disease appear to be very low . This condition is often alcohol-related . In addition , a small number of young people die annually from accidental alcohol poisoning

Of greater concern for this age group is the high incidence of accidental injuries and deaths among young people , which occur as a result of acute intoxication

. Evidence indicates that a high proportion of accidental injuries involve people who had been drinking , and that many were intoxicated when they were hurt . Moreover , drinking continues to be involved with a substantial proportion of road traffic accidents Approximately 1000 people aged 19 or under die each year in road traffic accidents in US . Available evidence suggests that many of these deaths are alcohol-related

On a more optimistic note , the period between 1979 and 1989 saw a substantial fall in the involvement of alcohol in vehicle driver fatalities in US . This decrease was especially pronounced amongst younger drivers . For example the proportion of two-wheeled vehicle drivers aged 16 to 19 killed in accidents who were above the legal blood alcohol level fell from 26 per cent to 13 per cent . Amongst drivers of cars and other vehicles the corresponding rate fell from 34 per cent to 11 per cent . However , it should be noted that this pleasing trend has been accompanied by an increase in alcohol-related deaths amongst pedestrians (Collins , 2002

Does Underage Drinking lead to Later Problems

One concern about heavy drinking amongst adolescents or other young people is that it might lead to the development of chronic heavy drinking or alcohol-related problems later in life . Two US studies have followed groups of young people for periods of seven years and ten years . These studies revealed that there were only low levels of association between teenage drinking habits and later patterns of alcohol use (Plant and Plant , 2002 ,

. 117 . Nevertheless , one did interpret their results as supporting the view that teenagers who drink heavily are particularly likely to be heavy drinkers later in life . The other did not reach this conclusion from their study . However they did suggest that teenage heavy drinkers were more likely than others to use a wider range of illicit drugs later in life

A review by Fillmore (1998 ) has examined the international evidence from prospective studies of individual 's drinking habits over time . She concluded that there is generally little continuity and that drinking careers change considerably with increasing age . Reviews of survey evidence (Plant and Plant , 2002 ) have noted that consumption of alcohol by young males peaks between the ages of 19 and 21 the corresponding age for females is lower , at 18 years old . Thereafter , drinking patterns appear to `mature out . This process involves decreases both in amounts of alcohol consumed and in drinking frequency , and is particularly noticeable amongst males who tend...