Adolescent Drinking and How It Affects ones Life

Literature Review

Introduction

Adolescent drinking has been a problem in the United States for decades. It has become one of the largest social issues among young people in America today. Statistically more than half of the high schoolers drinks on a regular basis, the problem are that they are not aware of how dangerous alcohol can actually be (Sanders, 1987). The reality is that underage drinking is a serious, even deadly, problem. Furthermore, alcohol use is a contributing factor to the four leading causes of death for young people: Accidents, vehicle deaths, homicides and suicides (Hill, 2002). There are many ways to prevent this from happening. This study will specifically address: 1) the history of adolescent drinking in the United Sates, 2) risk factors and causation, 3) signs of adolescent drinking, and 4) ways to prevent adolescent drinking.

History of adolescent drinking in the United States

"Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have consumed alcoholic beverages for purposes of religious ceremony, celebration, medicinal therapy, and recreation. Unfortunately, problem drinking also has been recognized and reported for thousands of years. There is a continuing debate as to whether alcohol is a beverage or a drug and whether its use is always hazardous or is, at times, beneficial to physical and/or psychologic health" (Sanders, 1987). In fact the annual Monitoring The Future Study of alcohol and drug use by American students has shown consistently that alcohol is the drug most often used and abused by children and adolescents (Committee on Substance Abuse, 2001). More than 90% have tried alcohol at least once before graduation from high school. Two thirds of senior high school students admitted to using alcohol at least once a month. Nearly 50% of male high school seniors and 30% of female seniors reported drinking excessively at least once every 2 weeks. One in 20 high school seniors reported drinking daily (Sanders, 1987). The annual social cost of underage drinking is $53 billion (Mosher, J., Hingson, R., & Bonnie, R., 2004).

Risk factors and causation of adolescent drinking

Influences upon alcohol consumption in early adulthood are thought to be numerous, including both personal and genetic factors as well as societal factors (Power, 1990). It is likely also that influences are interrelated as, for example, genetic and family factors. Children of alcoholic are significantly more likely to initiate drinking during adolescence and to develop alcohol use disorders. For example, sons of alcoholic men have a 1 in 4 risk of becoming alcoholics. Daughters of alcoholics are also at increased risk for alcoholism and more likely to marry alcoholic men, thereby continuing the cycle of family problems with alcohol (Committee on Substance Abuse, 2001).

Another factor is childhood behavior, in which, research has shown that children who are very restless and impulsive at age 3 are twice as likely to be diagnosed with alcohol dependency at age 21. Aggressiveness in children as young as ages 5 to 10 has been found to predict alcohol and other drug use in adolescence (NIAAA, 1997). Furthermore, some believe that psychiatric disorders are one of the factors why adolescent drink. In a recent study, "adolescents who reported high levels of drinking were more likely to have conduct disorder. Whether anxiety and depression lead to or are consequences of alcohol abuse is unresolved (NIAAA, 1997)."

Parents' drinking behavior and favorable attitudes about drinking have been associated with adolescents' initiating and continuing drinking. Early initiating of drinking has been identified as an important risk factor for later alcohol-related problems. Lack of parental support, monitoring, and communication also has been significantly related to frequency of drinking, heavy drinking, and drunkenness among adolescents. Peer drinking and acceptance also influences adolescent drinking behaviors. It is believe that during adolescence, drinking behavior, which often begins in a family setting, may continue with and be reinforced by beers. Because vulnerable adolescents generally seek out peer groups with similar attitudes and behaviors, pressure from this group can encourage alcohol and other drug use and other high-risk activities. Excessive drinking is more likely to occur outside the home with peers than within the family setting (Sanders, J., 1987).

Peer pressure is not only one of the factors why adolescents drink, the media is another reason. The problem is compounded by the facts that most kids don't get the kind of comprehensive health education they need to get the facts. "Instead, they see ads where drinking is portrayed as adult, glamorous and sexy.