Key points about alcohol and teens
Not drinking is the safest option for young people under 18.
- not drinking is the safest option for young people under 18
- it is best not to supply alcohol to young people under 18
- alcohol contributes to more young people dying than any other drug
- alcohol is involved in around 1 out of every 3 crimes committed in New Zealand each year
- no alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding is the safest choice
How much New Zealanders drink
Many New Zealanders drink regularly
8 out of 10 New Zealanders aged 12 to 65 years reported drinking alcohol within the past year and around 1.4 million people drank at least once a week.1
New Zealanders spend approximately $85 million per week on retail alcohol sales.2
Many young people drink large amounts when they drink
About half of the drinkers under 25 years of age drink large quantities when they drink, as do about a quarter of all adult drinkers.3
1 out of 3 students reported binge drinking (5 or more standard drinks in a 4 hour period) in the past month.4
Alcohol - a common factor in crimes, assaults, child abuse and accidents
Alcohol is involved in around 1 out of every 3 crimes committed in New Zealand each year.5 It is also a common factor in violent and sexual assaults (including family violence), child abuse and neglect, and road crashes and other machinery accidents.
Alcohol contributes to more young people dying than any other drug.
Alcohol contributes to more young people dying than any other drug – between 2005 and 2007, alcohol contributed to the deaths of 1 in 4 children and young people.6
Drinking alcohol - health risks
Alcohol is now recognised as a carcinogen (cancer-causing) and is proven to raise the risk of breast, mouth, throat, liver and digestive system cancer.
No alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding is the safest choice.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, as well as harm to your baby causing a range of lifelong effects. This range of effects is called fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or FASD for short. The effects can include premature birth, brain damage and physical birth defects.
The effects continue after the baby is born and can include:
- developmental delay
- learning disabilities
- social problems
- emotional problems
- behavioural problems
No alcohol during pregnancy and breastfeeding is the safest choice.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder: Prevention
There is no way to increase the rate at which your body gets rid of alcohol
Pure alcohol contains 7 calories per gram or approximately 70 calories per 10 ml of pure alcohol (one standard drink measure).
Drinking coffee, cold showers, drinking more alcohol, sleeping or fresh air do not sober you up – there is NO way to increase the rate at which your body gets rid of alcohol.
Acknowledgements
The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation are very grateful to Northland District Health Board (NDHB) for permission to reproduce this content from the Whānau pack: Tools for families and parents with teenagers.
Copyright
NDHB own the copyright in this material and it must not be copied or reproduced except as expressly permitted by NDHB.
References
1. Ministry of Health Alcohol Use in New Zealand: Key Results of the 2007/08 New Zealand Alcohol and Drug Use Survey (Wellington, 2009) at 15–33 [Alcohol Use Survey 2007/08]
2. The real story of Kiwis & Alcohol. ALAC 2012
3. Ministry of Health Unpublished Data Analysis of the 2004 New Zealand Health Behaviours Survey – Alcohol Use (June 2009) [Ministry of Health Data Analysis]
4. Ameratunga, S., Waayer, D., Robinson, E., Clark, T.C., Crengle, S., Denny, S., Sheridan, J. & Teevale, T. (2011). Youth'07: The Health and Wellbeing of Secondary School Students in New Zealand. Young People and Alcohol. Auckland, New Zealand: The University of Auckland, Adolescent Health Research Group
5. New Zealand Police National Alcohol Assessment (Wellington, 2009) at 7 www.police.govt.nz [National Alcohol Assessment]
6. Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee, Te Ròpù Arotake Auau Mate o te Hunga Tamariki, Taiohi. 2009. Special Report: The involvement of alcohol consumption in the deaths of children and young people in New Zealand during the years 2005–2007. Wellington: Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee
