Effects of alcohol associated with drinking habits among young adults, study says

By Staff Writer

A new study by University of Chicago researchers debunks the old notion that people who experience the depressive effects of alcohol are more likely to become problem drinkers.

The report, which appears in the Archives of General Psychiatry, concludes that drinkers who experience greater sensitivity to the rewarding effects of alcohol are more likely to binge drink. The findings were based on a two-year study of nearly 200 participants between 21 and 35 years old. Some of the people were considered heavy drinkers, which equated to between 10 and 40 drinks per week, while light drinkers drank between one and five alcoholic beverages per week.

Participants were brought to a laboratory on three separate occasions and given one of three drinks: a high dose of alcohol, a low dose of alcohol or a placebo. Each was disguised with a flavored drink mix, and the subjects were unaware that the study was testing the effects of alcohol.

After finishing the beverage, participants filled out surveys about their feelings. The team found that heavy drinkers were more likely to report positive and rewarding effects of the alcohol, while more light drinkers said that they felt sedated and sluggish.

Problem teens who abuse alcohol can benefit from tough love. Parents may consider enrolling their children in boarding schools or wilderness therapy programs, which promote healthy behaviors among adolescents.