Comercio

Drink and drug use high in teens
Britain's teenagers are among the heaviest drinkers and drug-users in Europe, research has found.
A survey of 15 and 16 year-olds found 26% of boys and 29% of girlsin the UK had indulged in binge drinking at least three times in the previous month.

Experimentation with alcohol and drugs during adolescence is common. Unfortunately, teenagers often don't seethe link between their actions today and the consequences tomorrow. They also have a tendency to feel indestructible and immune to the problems that others experience.

Using alcohol and tobaccoat a young age has negative health effects. While some teens will experiment and stop, or continue to use occasionally, without significant problems. Others will develop a dependency, moving on tomore dangerous drugs and causing significant harm to themselves and possibly others. It is difficult to know which teens will experiment and stop and which will develop serious problems. Teenagers atrisk for developing serious alcohol and drug problems include those:

with a family history of substance abuse
who are depressed
who have low self-esteem, and
who feel like they don't fit in or areout of the mainstream
There’s no question that drinking is a problem in most high schools. Alcohol is our most pervasive drug. Teens have access to it at parties, can obtain it from older friendswho are of legal age to buy it, or may simply raid their parents’ liquor cabinets. Moreover, unlike drug use, the moderate use of alcohol is considered perfectly acceptable in most adult social circles.Teens see their parents enjoying a cocktail after work or having a glass of wine at dinner. Drinking comes to represent a very sophisticated and adult thing to do mom and Dad do it...why shouldn’t I?the teen may reason. Parental acceptance of moderate to heavy use, however, may send the message that alcohol use has little inherent danger.

All alcohol use by teens should be regarded as...