Talks with kids about binge drinking should start early, doctors say

Parents and pediatricians should talk to children as young as nine years oldabout the dangers ofbinge drinking,long before they take their first sip, experts say.

Theclinical report "Binge Drinking," co-authored by Dr.Lorena Siqueira, in this week'sissue of Pediatricssaysthe topic of alcohol use by childrenneeds to be approached differently, compared to the approach foradults,because of their smaller bodies, lack of experience and the serious consequences of binge drinking that includevehicle collisions and cancer.

"The more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising and marketing, the more likely they are to drink, and if they are already drinking, this exposure leads them to drink more,"Siqueiraand her team said."Therefore, it is very important to start talking to children about the dangers of drinking as early as nine years of age."

For youth, the Canadian guidelines suggestdrinkingshouldbe delayed at least until the late teens and follow local legal drinking age laws.Once a decision to start drinking ismade, it should occur in a safe environment, under parentalguidance and at low levels oneor two standard drinksonceor twice per week.

From legal drinking age in Canada, it's18 or 19 depending on the provinceto 24 years, it's recommended women never exceed two drinks per day and mennever exceed three drinks in one day.

Siqueira's reportprovides doctors with a summary of the harms and latest research related toalcohol use by young people,and suggests shortscreening questions every adolescent should be asked.

I didn't pay all this money to drink my years away.-Anthony Manella, Ryerson University student

In British Columbia, doctors may bill for the service, but few do so, said Tim Stockwell, director of the Centre for Addictions Research of BC.

Adolescents also tend to visit the doctor less frequently than children, said Dr. Joanna Henderson, a psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's child, youth and family program in Toronto. Schools may provide a better opportunity for youth to access screening services, Henderson suggested in an email.

Henderson called the report in Pediatricsthorough, and applauded its emphasis on the impact of alcohol on neurodevelopment. The adolescent brain is more vulnerable toto alcohol-inducedbrain damage than the adult brain, the researchers said. Binge drinking may also eventually lead to liverdisease, hypertension, heart disease,stroke, and breast and other cancers.

Several of thepolicy recommendations in the Pedatrics report are in place somewhere across Canada. Mostly they aren't, said Stockwell, whoreviews provincial alcohol policies.

"Pricing policy is done moderately well in some parts of Canada. It's the most effective and the most powerful tool, especially for young people," said Stockwell, who is also a psychology professor at the University of Victoria.

"The average price might be quite high, but it's the rock-bottom price where heavier drinkers go, where young people gravitate."

In August, Stockwell published a study in the Canadian Journal of Public Healththat suggestsrates of high-risk consumption are hugely underestimated. As many as 60 per cent of 18-to 24-year-olds in Canada consistently drink above daily consumption guidelines, he estimated.

"There's a difference between numbers going down and how high they are," he said. "A few years ago, it's like Everest and now it's like K2."

Since alcohol use is such as ubiquitous part of life, it's awkward and unpopular to say anything about it, Stockwell said.

But parents should talk to their children about alternative activitiesto drinking, encourage moderate alcohol use and even delayinguse until young adulthood, he suggested.

Watching alcohol use on campus

Andrea Bartlett, president of Ryerson University students' union in Toronto, wasn't surprised about the underreporting of binge drinking, which she calls "a problem, especially during these first few weeks of school when students are moving out, living on their own for the first time."

Both the university and students' union are committed to ensuring students are well informed about alcohol consumption on campus, she said.

At an orientation event at Ryerson, first-year student Anthony Manella said he'll have a glass of wine here and there. His priority is academics, not the bars.

"I didn't pay all this money to drink my years away."