PEERS TO BLAME FOR BINGE KIDS

Every now and then the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba releases one
of its studies which shows widespread drug and alcohol use by
Manitoba's teenagers.

The reports are consistently greeted with a chorus of "Oh my Gods" and
"good griefs" as if it's some great surprise this kind of behaviour is
taking place. The major findings in the latest report shows binge
drinking among teens is on the rise and that Manitoba rates higher
than the national average. The Foundation polled almost 5,000 students
from 55 randomly selected middle and high schools in Manitoba. Binge
drinking, as defined by the Foundation, is consuming five or more
drinks in one sitting -- almost half of the drinkers said they had
five or more drinks on one occasion, while a quarter had eight or more.

"A lot of the drinking behaviours that we see in youths are mimicked
from what they see their parents do," John Borody, the Foundation's
CEO told the Winnipeg Sun.

A good point but most teenagers are influenced more by peer pressure
at that age.

"A lot of people are pressured into doing it," Maples Collegiate
student Krista Capulong, 17, told the Winnipeg Sun.

Good for the Foundation for keeping on top of the changing trends in
teenage alcohol and drug habits. Their studies provide the fodder for
educational programs to be developed and implemented which teach young
people the dangers of such activities.

Along with the information on binge drinking it was also revealed
fewer students overall were drinking booze and there has been a
noticeable drop in the use of marijuana, magic mushrooms and crystal
meth among teens, so it appears teens are listening. Knowing there are
some teens out there -- or so they claim -- that have eight or more
drinks perhaps more than once, is a stat that should cause alarm.

With all due respect to the Foundation, is the attitude of teenagers
towards drinking and drugs really any different than it has been for
decades? One would be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't
experiment with alcohol and drugs during high school. It's a time of
discovery and most young people take the opportunity to indulge in
these kinds of vices.

But not everyone becomes addicted to alcohol and drugs by testing the
waters -- sometimes consistently -- during their teenage years. It's
next to impossible to predict attending a few teenage parties will
lead to addiction later in life. Teenagers have also been known to
exaggerate when asked to participate in surveys like this so they look
"cool."

These stats are not to be ignored but they shouldn't create mass
hysteria that our teens are headed for trouble.