TV-WATCHING CITED IN ALCOHOL ABUSE

Teens who watched more television and music videos were more likely to start
drinking alcohol, probably due to the influence of frequent media portrayals
of drinking, a recent study says.

The Stanford University study of 2,600 ninth graders, who are usually 14 or
15 years old, found that for every extra hour per day spent watching music
videos, they were 31 per cent more likely to begin drinking alcohol during
the following 18-month study period.

By comparison, teenagers who spent more time watching videotaped movies or
playing computer and video games, which the study authors said contain few
or no depictions of alcohol, did not have a higher risk of alcohol use.

Checked-by: Don Beck