[Teenagers and age of first drinking: A disturbing precocity?].
Age of first drink in France and Western countries is early. National and international surveys confirm this early onset. Drunkenness, which is the most obvious drinking outcome, seems to rise amongst young adolescents. Consequences of this precocity are considerable. At short-term, drunk teenagers are more frequently victims of accidents. In addition, they are more vulnerable to sexual abuses, as victims but also as perpetrators. At medium- and long-terms, the early development of alcohol use is linked to higher levels of later drinking dependence. Three explanatory ways for this precocity are developed: family's influence, role of advertising and media, and role of peers. When alcohol meets adolescence, it is sometimes a real storm. Prevention is uneasy because of the very commonplace of alcohol at home. It can concern family level or society level. As for tobacco, society intervention is needed to delay age of first drink and limit teenager alcohol use but this should not involved adolescents condemnation.
Unité de médecine de l'adolescent, clinique médicale pédiatrique, CHU de Nantes, Quai Moncousu, 44093 Nantes cedex 1, France. georges.picherot@chu-nantes.fr
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D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005602:France; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008402:Mass Media; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D010379:Peer Group; D012932:Social Facilitation; D012951:Socialization; D055815:Young Adult