Almost one-half (44.8%) of the estimated 709,000 U.S. kids ages 12 to 14 who drink alcohol at least once a month do their drinking right in the safe and nurturing environments of their own homes, according to a new report from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
How do kids 12 to 14 afford to pay for alcohol? According to SAMHSA' report Young Alcohol Users, 93.4% of young drinkers get most of their alcohol for free with half of them (about 317,000) getting it from family members. About 111,000 underage drinkers are given free alcohol by their parents or guardians, the report says.
According to SAMHSA, the results show - as we have known for several centuries now - that family members play a "direct and important role" in preventing underage drinking.
"People who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are six times more likely than those who start at age 21 and older to develop alcohol problems," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde, J.D. in a press release. "Parents and other adults need to be aware that providing alcohol to children can expose them to an increased risk for alcohol abuse and set them on a path with increased potential for addiction."
Parents and family members who would like the federal government's advice in how to prevent underage drinking in their own homes can visit SAMHSA's StopAlcoholAbuse.Gov web site.
Photo: Family Wine Tasting, Circa 1754 - Getty Images
Also See:
Summertime is 'High' Time for U.S. Teens
22 Million Americans are Drug-Alcohol Dependent
Report Compares Health of Teens in U.S., Europe
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