New study on children and alcoholism: effects in later life

Research at the University of Iowa has studied how the “Age of First Drink” (AFD) affects a child’s development and future.

Samuel Kuperman (director of the division of child psychiatry at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics) says:

“Early alcohol use seems to reflect a number of adverse effects in a child’s life: effects that may be internal to the child such as having a significant number of disruptive behavioral symptoms, as well as effects that may be in the child’s environment.” The next step, he said, is to examine the unique contributions of early AFD to later negative outcomes. “In particular, I believe that we will demonstrate that a strong family history of alcohol dependence or antisocial personality disorder does in fact contribute to an increased risk for the occurrence of negative life outcomes, but that this is not directly influenced by an early onset of AFD.”

Read the full press release: Kids who drink early in life: What does it mean for their future?