Castleisland Youth Interagency Forum pulls no punches when reminding parents of the dangers of alcohol and teenage drinking ahead of the bank holiday weekend.
In challenging teenage drinking, parents are faced with many decisions including whether they should allow their teenager to drink where they can supervise them, in a controlled environment. Research, including that from the BT Young Scientist winners Ian O’Sullivan and Eimear Murphy in relation to problematic drinking clearly outlines that the earlier your teen starts to drink, the more likely they are to go on to have problems.
Parents Should Think Twice
In a research study under the heading: Age at First Alcohol Use – A Risk Factor for the Development of Alcohol Disorders found that a person who starts drinking between age 11 and 14, for example, has a 16% chance of becoming an alcoholic 10 years later, while the odds are just 1% for someone who starts at 19 or older, according to one large study.
Parents should think twice about allowing their teenagers have a drink on special occasions if they do not want them to develop bad alcohol habits, according to the O’Sullivan and Murphy findings.
Consuming alcohol under the age of 18 is illegal.
In addition there are also several health risks related to the consumption of alcohol.
1.Alcohol causes one in eight breast cancers in Ireland
Only 27% of women are aware that their risk of breast cancer increases as a result of heavy drinking.
2. Alcohol is a known cause of seven types of cancer
Alcohol is known to increase your risk of developing mouth, throat, voice box, oesophagus, liver, colon and rectum and breast cancer.
3. Women are at a higher risk of harm from alcohol than men
Women have a higher risk of health problems from alcohol than men and the problems are likely to start earlier. This is because women’s bodies absorb alcohol faster than men’s.
4. If you drink and smoke, your chances of getting cancer of the mouth, throat or oesophagus are far greater
If you smoke as well as drink alcohol, your risk of certain cancers is even higher. Cigarette smoke contains over 70 cancer-causing chemicals. When it’s mixed with alcohol, it increases the chances of developing certain cancers more than alcohol or cigarettes by themselves.
5. Sorry but there’s no evidence that red wine helps prevent cancer
The reality is that your body can’t tell the difference between different types of alcohol It’s how much alcohol you drink that matters, not what you drink.
6. The less you drink, the lower your risk of developing alcohol-related cancers
Drinking within recommended limits dramatically reduces your risk of harm from alcohol, and the less you drink, the lower the risk to your health.
About the Forum
Castleisland Youth Interagency Forum includes representatives from: HSE; An Garda Siochána; Kerry Diocesan Youth Service; North, East and West Kerry Development; Castleisland Family Resource Centre; Kerry Travellers Health & Community Development Project and Castleisland Day Care Centre.
You can find out more on the topic on: www.askaboutalcohol.ie
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