Teen girls and binge drinking

One out of every five high school girls binge drink, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC defined binge drinking as having at least four drinks. According to the study:

Health risks associated with binge drinking include a greater chance of heart and liver disease, cancer and death. Binge drinking also contributes to a greater chance of risky behavior, which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies.

The CDC report confirms the results of a study done last year by the Surgeon General, which found that there are 11 million underage drinkers in the U.S., and 7.2 million of those teens and tweens are binge drinking.

The Center for Applied Research Solutions shared these tips for how to recognize if your teen is using alcohol:

• Mood changes: flare-ups of temper, irritability, and defensiveness.
• School problems: poor attendance, low grades, and/or recent disciplinary action.
• Rebelling against family, school, or societal rules or authority figures.
• Switching friends, along with a reluctance to have you get to know the new friends.
• A “nothing matters” attitude: sloppy appearance, a lack of involvement in former interests, and general low energy.
• Finding alcohol in your child’s room or backpack, or smelling alcohol on his or her breath.
• Physical or mental problems: memory lapses, poor concentration, bloodshot eyes, lack of coordination, or slurred speech.

CARS offered tips for preventing binge drinking: talk to your teens about alcohol, learn the warning signs, keep track of your teen’s daily activities, set a good example and develop family rules about drinking.

And you might want to keep them away from the SuperBowl ads: a new study just found that TV alcohol ads can lead to underage drinking.

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