Many adolescents draw alcohol from their parents

Adolescents who easily get alcohol from their parents are at an increased risk for "coma drinking"
Many young people start drinking alcohol early. Mostly they first think of parents and friends to get wine, beer and spirits. Rarely do teenagers consider buying alcohol in the supermarket. This resulted in a study by the Kiel Institute for Therapy and Health Research on behalf of the health insurance DAK-health. According to this, adolescents who easily drink alcohol through their parents are at a higher risk for the so-called "coma run" than teenagers who barely have access to alcohol. "Almost every second student between the ages of 10 and 16 is said to have 'easy' or 'very light' beer and wine," said the health insurance company.

Only eleven percent of young people buy alcohol in the supermarket
The researchers interviewed 1,167 children and adolescents between the ages of ten and 16 from Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein and Brandenburg three times over their drinking habits and the availability of alcohol over a period of more than two years. The result: "Children and adolescents with alcoholic experience called parents (66 percent) and friends (50 percent) as the most frequent source of supply," informs the health insurance company. Eleven percent of the students said they bought alcohol in the supermarket. "Our study shows for the first time the strong connection between availability and consumption of alcohol," explains Prof. Reiner Hanewinkel, study director of the IFT North. "This result is interesting for prevention. In the fight against alcohol abuse, the role model function of parents takes on a new status. "

Alcohol addiction is often favored by learning from parents. (Runzelkorn / fotlia)

At the time of the first survey in 2008, the adolescents said they had never had five or more alcoholic drinks in a row. According to search experts, this is the quantity used as a criterion for "binge drinking". In 2011, more than 43 percent of students said they had at least once taken five glasses of beer, wine or other alcohol on one occasion.

Easy availability increases risk of binge drinking
Almost half of the children and adolescents surveyed said they would get "fairly light" (35 percent) or "very light" (13.8 percent) beer or wine. At the end of the study, 43.3 percent of students said they had at least once taken five or more alcoholic drinks. "Our research shows that easy availability is a risk factor for binge drinking," stresses Hanewinkel. With easier alcohol access, the risk of first binge drinking is 26 percent higher than in the control group, which is difficult or impossible to drink. This difference in alcohol consumption is significant.

65 juvenile alcohol victims in the hospital every day
"Every day, 65 children and adolescents in Germany end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning," says Ralf Kremer, a search expert at DAK-Gesundheit. In order to stop the ongoing trend of "binge drinking", from the point of view of prevention, the availability of alcoholic drinks in adolescence must be reduced. What is needed is the consistent enforcement of the Youth Protection Act, according to which no alcohol may be sold to under-16s. It also makes sense to reduce the availability of beer, wine and high-percentage alcohol through the social environment, such as parents, siblings and friends.

The study also shows that teenagers who drink alcohol easily via their parents or friends had a 26 percent greater risk of first-time comestibles than the control group, which has difficulty in getting alcohol. "Our research shows that easy availability is a risk factor for binge drinking," stresses Hanewinkel.

Every day, 65 children are hospitalized for alcohol poisoning
Six years ago, the DAK-Gesundheit and the Kiel Institute for Therapy and Health Research launched a campaign against alcohol abuse in adolescents under the motto "colorful instead of blue - art against coma drinking".

"Day in, day out, 65 children and adolescents in Germany end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning," says Ralf Kremer, a search expert at DAK-Gesundheit. From the perspective of prevention, the availability of alcohol in adolescence must be reduced and the youth protection law enforced more consistently, after which no alcohol may be sold to under 16-year-olds. The social environment - parents, siblings and friends - should help reduce the availability of alcoholic beverages, according to Kremer. (Ag)