The American Academy of Pediatrics is advising parents and pediatricians to talk to kids about drinking alcohol when they are 9 years old.
"Surveys indicate that children start to think positively about alcohol between ages 9 and 13 years," Dr. Lorena Siqueira, a pediatrician, and colleagues wrote in the journal Pediatrics. "The more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising and marketing, the more likely they are to drink, and if they are already drinking, this exposure leads them to drink more."
The authors write that 21 percent of young people say they have had more than a sip of alcohol before the age of 13, and 79 percent have done so by 12th grade. Oftentimes, they are also drinking in excess because they are inexperienced when it comes to consuming alcohol. "Among youth who drink, the proportion who drink heavily is higher than among adult drinkers, rising from approximately 50 percent in those 12 to 14 years of age to 72 percent among those 18 to 20 years of age," the authors wrote.
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The new guidance, published on Monday, advises pediatricians to screen every adolescent patient for alcohol use, and remind parents of some good news: 80 percent of teenagers say their parents have an influence on their decision whether to drink.
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