Research says teen binge drinkers are at risk of developing problems as adults

By Staff Writer

Researchers are warning parents that problem teens who drink alcohol heavily are at risk of becoming problem drinkers as adults.

The new report, which appears in the online edition of PLoS Medicine, analyzed the results of 54 previous studies that examined the alcohol consumption of older teens and adults. The found that adolescents who drank heavily were more likely to become alcoholics, commit crimes, experience mental health problems, smoke cigarettes as well as perform poorly in college and work during adulthood.

Researchers said that early experimentation with alcohol abuse can be a "probable cause" for emotional and physical problems that stem from adult drinking, but they said that there needs to be more studies in order to soundly confirm a link between teen drinking and alcohol dependence and high rates of consumption later in life.

According to the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of American high school students, approximately 24 percent of respondents admitted that they had binge drank within 30 days of the survey.

Teens who experiment with alcohol may benefit from wilderness therapy camps, which aim to help adolescents make healthier decisions.