A Stocked Bar For Holidays Can Be Introduction To Addiction

Most people would not believe that a fully stocked refrigerator and bar could precede an alcohol or drug addiction later in life.

A survey by SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in June 2008 revealed that 650,000 underage drinkers in May 2008 were given alcohol by their parents or guardians.  “In far too many instances parents directly enable their children’s underage drinking,” said Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H., a rear admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service in June 2008. “Proper parental guidance alone may not be the complete solution to this devastating public health problem but it is a critical part,” Dr. Galson stated.

Read the rest of the article HERE

To learn more about preventing underage drinking in Maine, visit www.maineparents.net
 
If you are a local business and would like FREE educational workshops about preventing underage drinking and substance abuse held for your staff during work/lunch hours (food provided), please contact portlandprevention@yahoo.com or call (207) 874-8965.

Binge drinking a problem for older adults too (Reuters Health)

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Binge drinking is usually seen as a problem of college campuses, but many older adults may be overindulging in alcohol as well, a study published Monday suggests.

Using data from a government survey of nearly 11,000 Americans age 50 and up, researchers found that 23 percent of men between the ages of 50 and 64 admitted to binge drinking in the past month, as did roughly 9 percent of women.

Among adults age 65 and older, more than 14 percent of men and 3 percent of women reported bingeing -- defined as having five or more drinks on one occasion, on at least one day in the past month.

Alcohol binges are often considered a problem of youth. One recent government study found that among U.S. college students between the ages of 18 and 24, 45 percent reported a recent drinking binge.

But the new findings, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, show that older adults can be susceptible too.

READ ON...

For more information on substance use in the 18-25 year-old population, visit SAMHSA or Maine's own "How U R" (a resource for anyone interested in learning more about how substance abuse impacts the LGBTI community) at www.howur.org