2009

Binge drinking in Childhood and Adolescence

Background: Episodic excessive alcohol consumption ("binge drinking") among children and adolescents hasbecome a serious public health problem in Germany and isassociated with a variety of risks. Methods: Selective literature search of the Ovid Medline database from 1998 to 2008.

Results: Episodic excessive alcohol consumption isassociated not only with somatic complications, but also with traffic accidents and other types of accident, violent behavior, and suicide. The more frequently a child oradolescent drinks to excess, and the younger he or she is, the greater is the risk of developing an alcohol-related disorder (alcohol misuse or dependence syndrome). In the USA, brief motivational interventions have been shown to have a small to medium-sized beneficial effect in reducing further binge drinking and its complications.

Conclusions: The intervention HaLT ("Stop," also an acronym for Hart am Limit-"near the limit") is performed in a number of regions in Germany. Further types of briefmotivating intervention should be developed and evaluated to prevent the development of alcohol-related disorders,where indicated, in children and adolescents that engagein binge drinking.

Additional Info

  • Authors

    Stolle M; Sack P-M; Thomasius R
  • Issue

    Dtsch Arztebl Int. / pages 323–328 / volume 106 (19)
  • Published Date

    2009