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Saturday, June 13, 2015
State Policies On Alcohol Can Lower Youth Drinking
American Academy of Pediatrics: Alcohol is the
most commonly used drug among teens, and accounts for more than 4,300 deaths
annually among people under age 21. In a study, “Youth Drinking in the United States: Relationships With Alcohol Policies and Adult Drinking,”
published in
the July 2015 Pediatrics (published online June 1), researchers examined
29
different state policies on alcohol – such as higher alcohol taxes or
laws
governing the density of liquor stores -- and measured their impact on
the
prevalence of youth drinking and binge drinking in states. Researchers
found
population-oriented alcohol policies (i.e., those that do not target
youth
specifically) were associated with lower youth drinking prevalence and
binge
drinking prevalence. This was partly explained by the impact of such
laws in
reducing adult drinking. Researchers conclude that state alcohol
policies,
including those that do not target youth specifically, are linked to
lower
youth drinking and binge drinking. According to the study authors, the
findings
suggest that comprehensive policy strategies that target the general
population
as well as youth are needed to reduce youth alcohol consumption and
related
problems.