NZ Herald 11 July 2018 Family First Comment: All the more reason to raise the drinking age.. “..delaying when teenagers start drinking could have a significant impact on reducing problems from occurring later in life.”
Problem drinking and substance abuse in adulthood can be attributed to frequent teenage drinking Australasian research has found.
The research suggests that those who drink weekly before age 17 are three times more likely to binge drink, drink drive, be alcohol dependent and use other drugs than their peers.
Nine thousand New Zealanders and Australians from age 13 to 30 took part in the study to provide evidence on the causal relationship between teen drinking and related problems in adulthood.
It also uncovered that there is no direct relationship between teen drinking and negative psycho-social outcomes, such as sexual risk-taking, early parenthood and mental health problems.
The study also found:
• Those who drank at least weekly before age 17 had rates of alcohol dependence in adulthood that were three times higher than those who did not drink before age 17.
• Drinking at least weekly before age 17 also increased the risk of smoking cigarettes in adulthood by 60 per cent
• Weekly drinkers prior to age 17 had rates of drink-driving in adulthood that were almost three times higher than those who did not drink before age 17.
