June 18, 2010
A Doctor's Advice
Why wait until I’m 21?
BY DR. WILLIAM WOOTEN
Many of you may remember asking your parents this question and, in recent months, several teens have asked me this question regarding the legal age for use of alcoholic beverages. Most of the inquiries have been through the Youth First, Inc. website, YouthFirstInc.org, where we have an interactive “Ask Youth First” section for site visitors.
Many teens (and a significant number of adults) seem to think that young people should be able to drink legally at an earlier age. Some parents elect to allow their children to drink at home before they reach legal age. They do so with good intentions hoping that supervised drinking at home will be less likely to result in problems. This is a myth. Such permissive attitudes often lead to tragic consequences as a result of underage drinking in settings outside the home.
So how did we decide on a legal age of 21? Why wait that long? What can happen if a young person starts drinking at an earlier age?
Alcohol abuse or dependence are not just adult problems. They affect the lives of millions of teens and young adults between the ages of 12 and 20. In fact, current estimates indicate that over three million teens are clearly alcoholic and millions of others suffer serious consequences as a result of alcohol abuse.
A 2009 survey of local young people indicates that 11.4 of eighth grade students, 19.7 percent of tenth graders, and 30.1 percent of twelfth graders engage in binge drinking. This Youth First/Indiana Prevention Resource Center, Student Survey indicates that 1.1 percent of eighth graders, 2.4 percent of tenth graders and 5 percent of twelfth graders consume alcohol every day. Believe it or not, these numbers represent improvements over past surveys, but they are still considerably higher than national averages for these age groups. Would more permissive laws decrease the psychosocial or medical problems associated with underage drinking or simply “legalize it”??
The three leading causes of death for 15 to 24 year olds are motor vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides. Alcohol is a common underlying factor in all three. Mental health and behavioral problems such as depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder are commonly associated with alcohol and other drug dependence.
The average age when young people first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 for girls. The younger a person is when they first use, the more likely they are to develop lifelong problems with addiction. Those who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who wait until after 21.
Risk factors such as easy access, family history of alcoholism, permissive community and family attitudes towards use, family conflict, peer pressure and academic problems play a part in development of problems too. However, delaying the first use of alcohol until adult years clearly reduces the risk of alcohol associated problems and addiction to alcohol.
Here are just a few other reasons for the legal drinking age of 21 years old:
- The Minimum Drinking Age Act was passed in 1984, requiring all states to increase their minimum drinking age to 21, or lose out on Federal Highway Funds.
- Since the Minimum Drinking Age Act passed in 1984, it has been estimated that 16,409 lives have been saved.
- In 1999, 21 percent of 15 to 20 year old drivers who were killed in crashes were intoxicated.
- Underage drinkers consume 25 percent of all alcoholic drinks in the U.S.
- 40.6 percent of seniors surveyed in the Southwest Indiana Youth Survey reported drinking in the course of a month.
- In 2005, there were more than 145,000 emergency rooms visits by youth 12 to 20 years for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol.
- A 2007 national student survey indicated that 11 percent drove after drinking and 29 percent rode with a drunk driver.
- 66 percent of 18-to-20 year olds who were heavy drinkers drove under the influence of alcohol in the past year.
Start early (age 8) with efforts to communicate your family values and rules regarding alcohol or other drug use. Set clear limits and provide reasonable consequences for violation of the rules. Be a good role model. Practice refusal skills with your children.
And, above all, praise and reward good behavior and tell them you love them every day.
For more on the 2009 survey, see http://youthfirstinc.org/problem/index.html – Southwest Indiana Youth Survey 2009.
The opinions, advice and information contained herein are not intended to provide professional medical advice or treatment, but are merely responses to questions from unidentified persons without advantage of actual knowledge of specific facts, circumstances and history of such person; and therefore, all responses contained herein should serve only as a suggested guide or possible course of action based on the question. Responses provided herein cannot replace professional assessment a person may receive from a visit with a healthcare professional. Youth First, Inc. hereby disclaims any and all responsibility or liability, which may be asserted or claimed arising from or claim to have arisen from reliance upon opinions, advice or information disclosed herein.