A clinical report titled Binge drinking published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says that children as young as 9 years old should be made familiar to the dangers of binge drinking, CBS News reports.
The report, co-authored by Dr. Lorena Siqueira, appeared in this week's issue of Pediatrics.
"The more young people are exposed to alcohol advertising and marketing, the more likely they are to drink, and if they are already drinking, this exposure leads them to drink more," Siqueira and her team said. "Therefore, it is very important to start talking to children about the dangers of drinking as early as nine years of age."
The report says that the topic of alcohol needs to be broached in a different manner with children than it is broached with adults, since children have smaller bodies and lack of experience and may, therefore, be vulnerable to serious implications of binge drinking, such as vehicle collisions and cancer.
The report suggests that drinking should not be indulged in until the late teens. Also, it should be done in a safe environment and under parental guidance. The report also recommends that women should not exceed two drinks a day, while men should not exceed three drinks in a day.
According to time, the AAP committee said that continued use of alcohol at a young age could have an adverse effect on brain development and increase the risk of substance use problems later on in life.
The report also provides doctors with the adverse effects and latest research related to alcohol use by young people.
