Ask The Doctor
We have had a number of community forums with the HAA over time and the panels are regularly challenged with great questions. The Health Alliance on Alcohol would like to extend this Q&A opportunity to the larger cyber community.
Please email your question to responsibly@heinekenusa.com and our doctors will review and answer questions on the site.
Q: Some parents have differing views on alcohol (some provide alcohol to teenagers, or allow them to drink at their homes after collecting car keys) – how should a parent respond?
A: There are many parents who believe their children are going to drink anyway and it is safer to have children drink in the family home, where they can be supervised by adults – themselves, adult siblings or adult relatives. Also, some parents mistakenly believe that as long as teens don’t drive, it is OK for them to drink. Unfortunately, accidents and injuries do not always involve a car – other serious consequences of underage drinking include alcohol poisoning, involvement in fights, falls, burns and property damage.
Q: Is there research on why kids drink – thrill seeking, boredom, curiosity, because it is a restricted product?
A: Adolescents drink for a variety of reasons. Adolescence is a biologically tumultuous time – their bodies are changing and teens are trying to find their place in the world. At a time when they are feeling physically and socially awkward, alcohol can relax them. We also know that adolescent brain grows asymmetrically, and the limbic system the part of the brain associated with risk-taking, matures faster than the frontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with decision-making. Hence the thrill-seeking may win out over good judgment for many teens.
Q: What is the motivation behind binge drinking?
A: Teens engage in binge drinking for a variety of reasons. Many are unable to self-regulate – if a little is good, more is better. Again, research shows that certain teens may have a biological predisposition to risk-taking that eventually leads to problem drinking. Certain teens may have a temperament that pushes them toward thrill-seeking. Additionally, kids may associate certain social situations with alcohol and even bring drinking (graduation parties, celebrations for turning 21, fraternity or sorority parties) – and some teens will drink accordingly.
