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Is there a "low-risk" drinking level for youth? : exploring the harms associated with adolescent drinking patterns

Is there a low-risk drinking level for youth? The likelihood of engaging in risk behaviors (e.g. drinking and driving) as a function of alcohol use was examined in 540 youth from the Victoria Healthy Youth Survey, age 16-23 (M=19.5; 245 Males, 294 females). Logistic regression revealed that both the frequency and quantity of alcohol use matter in terms of determining one’s risk. Quantity of consumption in excess of the recommended ≤2 drinks/occasion (CAMH guidelines) substantially increases ones risk of harm; as does consumption >once a week. However, for those consuming at low quantity (≤ 2 drinks/occasion) and low or moderate frequency levels (≤ once a week) the risk did not exceed that experienced by abstainers and may be considered “low-risk”. It is suggested that youth require a special set of drinking guidelines that focus on quantity consumed/occasion followed by clear limits on the number of drinking days (frequency).

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/1461
Date16 July 2009
CreatorsMurray, Kara
ContributorsStockwell, Tim
Source SetsUniversity of Victoria
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
RightsAvailable to the World Wide Web

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