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“I’ve heard in other schools that people have been sneaking drugs into their lockers,” Jake says. He’s only 10 years old, and he already knows kids who uses drugs.

Experts say that today, children younger than ever are exposed to themes once reserved for adults: sex, violence, profanity – as well as drugs and alcohol.

“I think they’re pushed,” explains educator Kay Scott. “You know, pushed by music, pushed by movies, and pushed in some ways by the media.”

Experts add that parents aren’t teaching their elementary school-age kids about the dangers of alcohol.

As Dr. Michael Fishman, an addiction medicine specialist, explains, “many of the parents are not getting involved as much with kids around education, around negative experiences they’ve had with drugs and alcohol.”

And that’s why Jake’s parents began that conversation two years ago. His father is a recovering alcoholic.

“That was a part of our life and it is a part of our life, so it was appropriate for this family to have that conversation at the time,” says Jon Schlanger, Jake’s dad.

One specific worry for them is that Jake inherited his dad’s genes.

“If one of the parents has the disease of alcoholism, I think at a minimum it’s 25% more likely [that the child will inherit the disease],” explains Dr. Fishman.

Another concern is his age. “The younger they start drinking, the higher risk they’re going to have for alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence,” he continues.

Which is why, Dr. Fishman says, every family needs to start the conversation early: “I think the young people are much more aware and ready than many parents may believe.”

Jake’s dad knows he was ready for it, too. “In one respect it forces me to be honest about it; in another aspect, and this was very important to me, is for him to see that when I had a problem, that I would try to face it and work through it.”

What We Need To Know

• While many people believe that underage drinking is a ‘rite of passage’- it’s not. In fact, alcohol can cause serious and irreversible damage to the growing adolescent brain. (American Medical Association)
• Youth who drink can have a significant reduction in their learning abilities, memory and development – due to damage to the brain’s hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. (American Medical Association)
• The longer you can delay the onset of drinking, the more time you give the brain to grow and develop – and most likely the less of an impact it’s going to have. (Dr. Robert Margolis, clinical psychologist)
• Alcoholism is like any other disease – children are at a higher risk to inherit the disease because of their parents’ history. If you have a problem with alcohol, sit down with your children – and discuss how it has affected your life, and how it can affect theirs. (Dr. Michael Fishman, addiction medicine specialist)

Resources

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
• Journal of Adolescent Health: A Review of Psychological Risk Factors
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

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