TEENAGED DRINKING

While fewer teenagers are consuming alcohol in the mid-1990s than was the case five years earlier, contemporary teenagers are initiating drinking behaviors earlier than past generations (Fertman, 1995, pp. 42-44; Meilman, 1190, pp. 389-395). Recent surveys indicate that two-thirds of 13 year olds in the United States have tried alcohol (Fertman, pp. 42-44). Various surveys indicate that the proportion of regular users of alcohol among American teenagers is in the range of 24-to-60 percent, while from 12-to-43 percent of teenagers participate in drinking binges (Tobacco, alcohol, 1992, pp. 1841-1842). According to the national Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 20 percent of American teenagers are problem drinkers (Alexander, 1991, pp. 527-532).

Among teenagers, males drink more per capita than females, and more males than females consume alcohol on a more or less regular basis (O'Hare, 1990, pp. 536-541). The mean amount of alcohol consumed per drinking occasion is also higher among males than females (Crowley, 1991, pp. 10-16).

Causes Of And Motivations For Alcohol Consumption By Teenagers

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orted that alcohol disinhibits sexual behavior in both males and females, and that the disinhibition effect increases as the consumption of alcohol increases. These findings are diametrically opposed to the widely held social perceptions related to the consumption of alcohol and sexual behavior. Invalid perceptions related to the association between alcohol consumption and sexual desire, however, provide a basis for many persons in American society to excuse the socially unacceptable behaviors of sexual aggressors. Took and Weiss (1994, pp. 613-621) found an association between a preference for heavy metal and rap music, a higher incidence of below-average grades in school, a higher incidence of school behavior problems, a higher incidence of sexual activity, and higher levels of drug and alcohol consumption among teenagers. While this finding is interesting, no causal attributions may be based on the data presented. Outcomes Associated With Teenage Drinking The effects of alcohol on humans is known to vary from person to person, as well as on the same person at different times and under different circumstances (DiSimone, Murray, & Lester, 1994, pp. 939-942). Among the many effects that may be experienced are decreased cogn
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Approximate Word count = 3096
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page)

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