Wednesday Facts about young people and alcohol

On the day you hold your child, your everything, in your arms for the first time, you can't imagine that he or she will ever try to open the front door with a lot of noise. It is best to keep your child away from alcohol for as long as possible. Or do you let him or her drink under supervision if it does happen? You can read the latest news about young people and alcohol here.

Drinking alcohol kills brain cells.

Is that true or not true? A number of Dutch researchers have taken a closer look at a few studies in which more than 700 young people between the ages of 8 and 29 were followed and what does it show? The brain of young people who drink shows an accelerated decline in gray matter (mainly the cell bodies of neurons), especially in the frontal and cingulate cortex. The cingulate cortex is involved in the formation and processing of emotions, in learning and memory. Young people who drink also showed a slower increase in white matter – the connections between brain cells and areas. The results apply to both moderate and heavy drinkers.

But whether we can now state that alcohol is indeed responsible for the death of brain cells? No, not that either. Young people had to indicate in questionnaires whether they drank alcohol, and also how much. Some may have minimized their use. And the researchers point out that other factors can also influence brain development, such as a lower socio-economic status or the tendency to risk behaviour. These factors were not included in the study.

Source: eosscience.eu.

Authoritative upbringing around alcohol has an effect.

An authoritative upbringing (not to be confused with authoritarian) stands for a warm and involved upbringing, and one with clear rules. Flattened, this comes down to listening to your child, showing understanding, having good conversations, and spending time together.

In Iceland they have achieved great results with their 'Drug Free Iceland' approach, which includes the authoritative parenting style. In 1998, 42 percent of Icelandic 15- and 16-year-olds had been drunk in the last 30 days. In 2017, this had fallen to just 5 percent. The success is similar for smoking and drugs.

In addition to a lot of warmth, understanding and respect, clear rules must also be set. A big difference between Iceland and the Netherlands is that parents allow more alcohol in the Netherlands. Drinking at home under supervision is allowed in many cases. But by law, drinking and/or smoking before the age of eighteen is prohibited. Here are some tips on how best to handle this as a parent:

-Set rules before your child even comes into contact with an alcohol-drinking environment.

- Impose a smoking and drinking ban until your child's eighteenth birthday.

Attach consequences to breaking the promise not to smoke or drink.

-Make sure that the consequence is in proportion to the broken rule.

-Be consistent. Don't make exceptions. Your child should not drink alcohol. Not even because it's vacation. Not even because grandpa and grandma have been married for 50 years. Not because it's Easter. Just no.

-Set a good example yourself. Do not drink or drink as little as possible in front of your children. Don't leave the alcohol in plain sight when you're not drinking.

Source: bndestem.nl.

Here you can read a lot more about young people and alcohol.

Earlier we also wrote a few things about young people and alcohol. So if you would like to read more about the effects of alcohol or set rules around alcohol consumption? Then check the following articles:

Brain damage in young people due to alcohol use

You stop drinking and your child is just starting

Drinking alcohol and under 18? Not a good idea.