The upcoming May issue of the journal Pediatrics will include a new policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding the problem of youth alcohol use. Importantly, the policy statement also outlines the role of pediatricians in preventing alcohol use among their patients and in their communities. This is welcome news for those of us working to engage whole communities (including health care providers) in our prevention efforts!
The policy report begins by reviewing the problem of youth and adolescent substance use:
- Drinking at an early age increases lifetime risk of developing alcohol dependence
- Alcohol use by youth is associated with sexual risk taking, academic problems, other substance use, and deviant behavior
- Alcohol is a major contributor to the leading cause of death of youth (car crashes)
- Compared to adult drinkers, youth drinkers are much more likely to binge drink
- Emerging research suggest that adolescent alcohol use interferes with brain development and can impede an adolescent’s ability to make decisions, even when s/he is not under the influence
The report then describes risk factors associated with youth alcohol use. Finally, the report highlights the role that pediatricians should play in prevention of alcohol use, offering 16 recommendations for pediatricians. Some of the recommendations include:
- Increase knowledge of teen alcohol and other substance use
- Screen regularly for alcohol use and abuse
- Discuss the hazards of alcohol with patients and strongly advise against alcohol use
- Talk to parents about their role in preventing alcohol use
- Serve as a resource and support for school and other community alcohol programs (such as local substance abuse prevention coalitions!)
To see all 16 recommendations and to read the rest of the report, click here.
Citation: American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Use. (2010). Policy statement - Alcohol use by youth and adolescents: A pediatric concern. Pediatrics 125(5), 1078-1087.
One of the many fun things we do at the RCHC during our lunch breaks, other than eating healthy ;), is hold a journal club. Awesome...I know! Every two weeks we select an article to read as a group and discuss it. Every other article is related to our work the other not-so much (for example we read two articles called "Colonial Legacies and Economic Growth" by RM Grier and "Colonialism and Development: A Comparative Analysis of Spanish and British Colonies" by M. Lange,et. al).
Our most recent journal club meeting focused on an article titled "Cultural Humility" by Melanie Tervalon and Jann Murray-Garcia. The authors argue that we can achieve cultural humility through education, although their focus was on physician education. They offer clear examples of how all of us can strive towards and practice cultural humility so long as we do not view it as something we can attain.
I cannot do this article any justice so I suggest you check it out:
http://info.kp.org/communitybenefit/assets/pdf/our_work/global/Cultural_Humility_article.pdf
