Clinical Edge

Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions

Binge Drinking Among Adolescents

AAP report offers guidance for clinicians

Publish date:

A clinical report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) details alcohol abuse by children and adolescents in the US and offers guidance and recommendations to combat this high-risk behavior. The report states that among youth who drink, the proportion that drinks heavily is higher than among adult drinkers. Among those who drink, binge drinking increases from approximately 50% in those aged 12 to 14 years to 72% among those aged 18 to 20 years. Alcohol use is also associated with the leading causes of death and serious injury in this age group, including motor vehicle accidents, homicides, and suicides. Among the recommendations

offered in the report are:

• In the office setting, provide programs designed to deliver messages about binge drinking prevention to parents.

• Ask adolescents about alcohol use during office visits.

• Encourage schools to adopt preventive measures, including school-based health educations programs.

Citation: Siqueira L, Smith VC, et al. Binge Drinking (Clinical Report). Pediatrics. 2015;136(3):e718-e726. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-2337.

Commentary: Binge drinking in adults is defined as drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks in a row by men and 4 or more drinks in a row by women, over a 2-hour period. The number of drinks that qualifies as binge drinking in teenagers is slightly less, and varies by age. Using a 30-day time period, 14% of adolescents (1 out of 7) reported binge drinking. When teenagers drink alcohol, they tend to binge drink. Of students who drink alcohol, two-thirds report binge drinking, and 10% report having drank 10 or more drinks in a row. It is important to address this problem with parents and youth beginning at about 9 years of age, as the change in attitudes toward drinking appear to begin at 9-12 years of age. It is also important to remind parents, supported by good evidence, that the message parents send about alcohol to their children is the most important influence on teenage and young adult decisions about drinking1. —Neil Skolnik, MD

1. Turrisi R, Mallett KA, Cleveland MJ, et al. Evaluation of timing and dosage of a parent-based intervention to minimize college students’ alcohol consumption. J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2013;74(1):30–40.

This Week's Must Reads