Teenage alcohol use

Approximately 39% of the in-school adolescent population of the United States can be classified as at least moderate drinkers, and as many as 28% may be problem drinkers. More adolescent boys than girls are drinkers, but the number of girls who drink is increasing, as is the number of drinkers age 13 and under. Adolescent drinking patterns are influenced by parental drinking models, peer structure, and other sociopsychologic factors. Teenagers who drink are likely to have parents and peers who drink and to have contact with religious organizations and other social systems which they perceive as not disapproving of drinking. Abstainers, on the other hand, usually have nondrinking parents and peers and are more likely to be associated with social institutions which disapprove of drinking. A significant proportion of the current adolescent population may enter adulthood with harmful drinking habits already ingrained. If intervention and treatment are to be effective, the social network which supports alcohol use among teenagers must be taken into account.