Pubdate: Tue, 26 Sep 2000
Source: Reuters
Copyright: 2000 Reuters Limited
Author: Amy Norton

TEENS WHO DRINK BECOME INJURY-PRONE ADULTS

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenage drinking has been linked to alcohol 
dependency later life and to more immediate risks such as car accidents. 
Now, new research shows that people who start drinking early on may take 
more risks and collect more injuries throughout their lives.

In a study of nearly 43,000 adults, investigators found that those who had 
started drinking by age 14 were far more likely than others to suffer an 
alcohol-related injury at some point in their lives. Drunken accidents were 
three times more common among these drinkers than among those who took up 
drinking at age 21, researchers report in the September 27th issue of The 
Journal of the American Medical Association (news - web sites).

Dr. Ralph W. Hingson, of the Boston University School of Public Health in 
Massachusetts, led the study. Hingson told Reuters Health that early 
drinking has been linked to alcohol dependency and heavy drinking later in 
life. However, he said, this offers only a "partial explanation" for his 
study findings, because early starters had a higher injury risk even if 
they did not develop a drinking problem.

It seems, Hingson said, that people who start drinking at such a young age 
are greater risk takers.

The researchers used data from a survey on drinking history, risk-taking 
behavior, and alcohol-related injuries. The team found that the older 
respondents were when they began drinking, the less likely they were to 
take risks and get injured.

Hingson said these findings are "yet more evidence" that parents, doctors 
and educators need to drive home the message that underage drinking is 
dangerous. One study, he noted, has shown that after years of decline, 
drinking and driving may be on the rise among high school students.

"We can never claim victory on this," Hingson said. "Every year a new 
high-risk (group) enters the driving pool."

Of course, he noted, the dangers of underage drinking are not limited to 
driving. The current study showed that people who start drinking early on 
are more likely to suffer a host of injuries--from falls to accidental 
gunshot wounds.

Source: The Journal of the American Medical Association 2000;284:1527-
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