The early experience of alcohol is harmful to the health of young people, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Nature. And it can also cause them to drink excessively in their lifetime.
Scientists at the University of Vermont in Canada have sought to understand the impact of the age at which you take your first sip of beer on future life.
The researchers used a specific computer and software to analyze a wealth of data from more than 2,000 young people in England, Ireland, France and Germany.
While certain personality traits such as risk appetite, sensation seeking, family history, genetics, and brain structure affect the relation to alcohol, the age of the first alcoholic experience appears to be a determining factor in later alcoholism.
It is important to delay the age of the first alcoholic experience
They discovered that the age of the first alcohol experiences is linked to binge drinking later in life. And it is between the ages of 14 and 16 that adolescents are most vulnerable.
“The most vulnerable period is between 14 and 16 years. These are really “critical” ages to start drinking alcohol. 70% of them induce excessive behavior towards the product for the future, ”explains Dr Hugh Garavan, from the University of Vermont in Canada, who co-directed the study.
“It is important that young people delay their first alcoholic experience by six months or a year. This would have beneficial consequences on their health and on their potential addiction to the alcohol Recalls Dr Hugh Garavan.
A surprising discovery
During this research, scientists made a more surprising discovery. 14-year-olds who had larger brains were more likely to drink excessively.
“A big brain is a sign of immaturity in young people. Indeed, a working brain sees its size shrink. During brain development, gray matter sculpts and concentrates, ”explains Dr Hugh Garavan.
Alcohol, a real public health problem
On average, the French are 7 times more hospitalized for a problem related to the alcoholthan for diabetes. Alcohol is also a reason for hospitalization 3 times more important than hospitalization for vascular pathologies. “Between 2009 and 2011, hospitalizations for all alcohol-related pathologies increased by 30%”, explains Professor Pr Michel Reynaud, head of the department of psychiatry and addiction at Paul Brousse hospital in Villejuif. to AFP. “This is one of the leading medical causes of medical hospitalization in France,” recalls the addictologist.
In France, 1.5 million people are alcohol dependent and 3.5 million people excessively consume alcoholic beverages.