HHS HealthBeat (February 05, 2008)

When the other kids drink

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It looks like Mom was right – teens who hang out with the drinking crowd are more likely to start drinking.

Danielle Dick of Virginia Commonwealth University found that in data on a long-running study of twins. The study, which she did while at Washington University of St. Louis,  was supported by the National Institutes of Health and was published in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

``It’s not just that kids who are using alcohol are selecting other friends who are using alcohol, but in fact the mere presence of being a part of these friendship groups does impact the adolescent’s own alcohol use.’’ (11 seconds)

And she says girls are more susceptible than boys.

But she says parents who watch who their kids are with and what they’re doing are less likely to have kids who drink.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: February, 04 2008