New Test Flags Underage Drinking Risk

Texas readers may be interested to learn that researchers have developed a new personality-based aimed at identifying kids at high risk for underage drinking. The preliminary results appear promising, and may help reduce underage drinking and its accompanying problems, such as drinking and driving.

Called the Teacher-Delivered Personality-Targeted Interventions for Substance Misuse, the test was administered to 2,643 secondary school students. Students who scored high in one of four high-risk profile areas — anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, impulsivity, and sensation seeking — were offered counseling based in cognitive behavioral therapy and motivational enhance therapy principles. School staff who had been trained in a two or three day workshop were available to administer the counseling.

The students were then assessed for problem drinking at 6-month intervals for 2 years. Researchers found that students who at the intervention schools had a 29% lower risk of drinking over the course of the trial, compared with the control group. They also had a 43% lower likelihood of binge drinking during the trial period.

Although one limitation of the study might be that the data was self-reported from students, researchers assert that the widespread public misuse of alcohol and the potential societal benefit of reducing DWI behavior more than demonstrate the potential value of the test. Advocates hope the test may become standard in many schools — a feasible option due to the inexpensive nature of the program.

Alcohol awareness programs such as this one may go a long way towards avoiding alcohol-related crashes. However, for an individual that has been arrested for DWI, an experienced criminal attorney for drunk driving cases can help minimize the negative consequences, both by preparing a strong defense and by offering suggestions to avoid future risky behavior.

Houston area lawyer for DWI cases, Tad A. Nelson, is a foremost expert when it comes to biochemistry as it relates to alcohol. He’s also Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. If you need help fighting DWI charges, contact our DWI law firm. We have law office locations in Houston, Galveston, and League City for your convenience.

Source: MedPage Today,”Targeted Program Curbs Teen Drinking,” Kristina Fiore, Jan. 25, 2013

Pre-Alcoholism Detection in Children