AAP Releases Policy Statement on Alcohol Use in Adolescents

The American Academy of Pediatrics has released a policy statement on the use of alcohol in youth and young adults.

The statement serves as an update to the group’s 2010 statement and is accompanied by a technical report.

Along with the policy statement, the group outlines several efforts already in place to control alcohol use among youth that it supports:

• Advocacy for continued research on the impact of alcohol use on developing brains.
• Advocacy for tax on alcohol products.
• Continued awareness, knowledge, and skill development so that pediatricians screen for alcohol use and provide education to adolescents and their families about hazards, consequences, and interventions around alcohol use.
• Pediatricians’ support for increased investment in treatment services for substance use disorders in adolescents and young adults.

“Alcohol use continues to be problematic for youth and young adults in the United States. Understanding of neurobiology and neuroplasticity continues to highlight the potential adverse impact of underage drinking on the developing brain.”

—Michael Potts

Reference:

AAP. Alcohol use by youth [published online June 24, 2019]. Pediatrics. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2019/06/20/peds.2019-1356#ref-4.