Patricia Tanner Nelson Family and Child Development Specialist University of Delaware-Newark Alcohol is the most widely used drug among American youth. Literature Review on Alcohol and Youth, a report that challenges some long-standing beliefs about the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse.
Longitudinal studies indicate that children are beginning to drink at increasingly earlier ages.
Contrary to earlier conclusions, researchers now believe that drinking with family members at home can lead to later alcohol problems. Targeted audiences are 8-12 year olds and their parents. Parents are the strongest prevention influence for 8-12 year olds. Adolescents who spend most of their free time with peers are more likely to use drugs than those who spend most of their free time alone or with their family. Because the easiest group to belong to is one that uses alcohol and other drugs, youngsters who lack social skills may be at special risk for developing drug problems.