News / Education
Narconon Warns Early Drinking May Lead to Drug Addiction
Study Shows Correlation With Young Drinkers and Drug Dependence
“A study published by Wiley InterScience showed that the risk for alcohol dependence increased with the decreasing age at first drink,” comments Mary Rieser, Executive Director for Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia. “We have seen this trend in the past few years: the majority of clients coming in for addiction treatment for the most part started drinking in their very early teens. This then led for the most part to marijuana use, then to harder drug use, then to addiction.”
While anyone at any age can become addicted to drugs or alcohol, several studies have shown that the older a person is before their first drink or their first cigarette, the less likely they are to try and become addicted to harder drugs.
“The exceptions we have seen to this rule are those who have become addicted to prescription medications,” comments Ms. Rieser. “In these cases even grandparents, on doctor’s advice, can easily become addicted to prescription pain medications. Taking OxyContin or Percocet for more than 2 or three weeks can lead to dependency and addiction.”
Parents are encouraged to follow these simple steps in order to help prevent drug abuse and addiction:
1. Talk to your kids early and often about drug and alcohol abuse.
2. Don’t be permissive about the consequences of alcohol, cigarette, or marijuana use in young children.
3. Monitor your children’s activities and set boundaries for when and where they go.
4. Have dinner at least 5 times a week with your children.
“These simple steps have shown to help stop the probability of drug abuse and addiction in teens,” comments Ms. Rieser. “Talk to your children. Help them. Don’t let them suffer. Teaching them about the dangers of drug abuse, and prescription drug abuse, will ensure they will have a chance of living a happy life.”
