Weekly Update

June 25, 2009

SAMHSA ISSUES PRESS RELEASE ON FATHERS' ALCOHOL USE ON CHILDRENS' BEHAVIOR

A press release issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on June 18, 2009, reported on results of a new study that revealed a father's alcohol use may significantly affect their adolescent's use of alcohol and drugs. Analyses of 2002 through 2007 data drawn from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, involving responses from 11,056 fathers and 9,537 father-child respondent pairs served as the basis of this study.  Analyses revealed:

  • The rate of past year alcohol use was dramatically higher among adolescents living with a father with an alcohol use disorder than those living with a father who had not used alcohol in the past year (38.8 percent versus 21.1 percent).
  • The vast majority of fathers living with adolescents (68.1 percent) used alcohol, but did not have a drinking disorder.  Of their adolescent children, 33.2 percent engaged in underage drinking in the past year. 
  • Nearly 1 in 4 fathers living with adolescents (24.2 percent) abstained from drinking alcohol in the past year.  On the other hand, 1 in 12 fathers living with adolescents (7.9 percent) met the clinical definition of having an alcohol use disorder.
  • Adolescents living with fathers who abstained from alcohol were less likely to use illicit drugs in the past year than their counterparts living with fathers who had alcohol use disorders (14.0 percent versus 24.2 percent).  The rate among adolescents living with fathers who drank, but did not have drinking disorders was 18.4 percent.

According to SAMHSA Acting Administrator, Eric Broderick, D.D.S., M.P.H. "This study highlights the continuing need to educate fathers, mothers and other role models about the profound impact their drinking behavior can have on their children."     

The full report is available online at http://oas.samhsa.gov/2k9/108/FatherAlcUse.cfm .  Copies may also be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA's Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) and asking for Fathers' Alcohol Use and Substance Use among Adolescents or at http://ncadistore.samhsa.gov/catalog/productDetails.aspx?ProductID=18138. 

NEWS FROM PARTICIPATING STATES

Nebraska -- A tip line to report underage drinking took more than 200 calls during the first five months of 2009 according to an Associated Press news article th at was reported on an Omaha radio station on June 20, 2009.  The Nebraska Office of Highway Safety sponsors the campaign to promote the tip line, 1-866-MUST-B-21. The campaign also uses the social networking site Facebook, a Web site and radio ads to further spread its message in an effort to curb underage drinking.

  

NIDA RELEASES RESULTS OF STUDY SHOWING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PREVENTION PROGRAMMING IN SCHOOLS

In a press release issued June 18, 2009, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) announced the results of a study that suggested school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students.  Specifically, fifth graders who had participated in Positive Action (PA), a comprehensive K-12 social and emotional development program designed to enhance behavior and academic achievement, for one to four years were about half as likely to engage in substance abuse, violent behavior or sexual activity as those who did not take part in the program. PA is an interactive, school-wide program that involves teachers and parents as well as students.

The study was conducted in 20 public elementary schools in Hawaii that had below-average standardized test scores and diverse student populations with an average of 55 percent of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. The program consists of daily 15-20 minute interactive lessons focusing on such topics as responsible self-management, getting along with others, and self-improvement. At schools implementing the intervention, these lessons occupied a total of about one hour a week beginning in the first or second grade. 

The study, conducted by researchers at Oregon State University, was supported by NIDA, a component of the National Institutes of Health.  Findings from the study will appear in the August 2009 print issue of the American Journal of Public Health.  According to the press release, Dr. Nora Volkow, NIDA Director, said, "This study provides compelling evidence that intervening with young children is a promising approach to preventing drug use and other problem behaviors....The fact that an intervention beginning in the first grade produced a significant effect on children's behavior in the fifth grade strengthens the case for initiating prevention programs in elementary school, before most children have begun to engage in problem behaviors."


WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY STUDY PROVIDES NEW INFORMATION ON BINGE DRINKING

A Science Daily news article on June 23, 2009 reported on new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that found substantial reductions in binge drinking since the national drinking age was set at 21, with the exception of college students.  The rate of binge drinking among male college students remained unchanged while the rate among female college students increased dramatically.  The findings of the study will appear in the July issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.  Researchers used 1979-2006 survey data of more than 500,000 subjects from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.  The participants were divided into groups by age, sex, ethnicity, and student status. The researchers concluded, based upon their analysis, that:

  • Binge drinking, overall, is less common than it once was.
  • Young men account for the majority of binge drinkers.
  • The "gender gap" between male and female drinkers has been closing—with the rates of binge drinking for young women rising in contrast to their male counterparts. In men ages 21 to 23, binge drinking decreased more than 10 percent in males but increased by 40 percent in women in the same age range.
  • Rates of binge drinking among young men have dropped substantially since 1979, unless they were in college.  Among 18-20 year old non-college men, binge drinking declined by more than 30% over the study period" it was statistically unchanged among the men in college.
  • The rate of binge drinking in women was significantly higher for college women as compared to women who were not enrolled in college.  For example, in women ages 21 to 23, binge drinking increased about 20 percent among non-students, but increased more than 40 percent among college students.
  • Binge drinking decreased among men who are African-American, Hispanic or belong to other minority groups, but it increased among minority women.

According to the article, the lead researcher, Richard A. Grucza, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry (Washington University School of Medicine), referenced the discussion about lowering the minimum drinking age in regard to his data analyis, "Many proponents of lowering the drinking age argue that the higher drinking age has led to more binge drinking....There is no evidence to support that. Our study and other studies show the higher age has decreased the amount of alcohol consumed by young people, the number of binge-drinking episodes overall, the number of fatal car crashes and other adverse alcohol-related outcomes. There may be good, philosophical arguments about why the drinking age should be lower than 21, but our study demonstrates the higher minimum drinking age has been good for public health."

NSDUH REPORT FINDINGS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IN PREVENTING ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE USE

Research h as shown that parents are influential in their children's choice to use alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs.  According to a National Survey of Drug Use and Health report released in May 2009, most youths in 2007 aged 12 to 17 believed that their parents would strongly disapprove of their having one or two drinks of an alcoholic beverage nearly every day (89.6 percent), smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day (92.1 percent), and using marijuana or hashish once a month or more (93.3 percent). The majority of youths indicated that their parents were involved in their day-to-day activities; for example, 86.2 percent said their parents always or sometimes let them know when they had done a good job, and 80.9 percent of those who were in school said their parents always or sometimes provided help with homework. Youths' perceptions of parental disapproval of their substance use as well as parental involvement generally decreased with age; for example, 95.8 percent of 12 or 13 year olds compared with 93.4 percent of 14 or 15 year olds and 87.4 percent of 16 or 17 year olds thought their parents would strongly disapprove of their smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day.  The report's findings suggest most parents do express disapproval of their children using substances such as alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, and they are involved in the day-to-day life of their children. To view the full report, click here.


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