Can we keep our teens from growing up to abuse alcohol?

No one knows better than researcher Lindsay Squeglia, Ph.D., of the Medical University of South Carolina, just how fun and frustrating teenagers can be. It's why she has chosen to study that age group.

Squeglia, who specializes in understanding the effects of alcohol and marijuana use on adolescent brain development, uses structural and functional neuroimaging and neuropsychological testing. It’s an area ripe for research, says Squegila, who is an assistant professor in MUSC's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Her goal is using research to help shed light on more effective interventions. More teens use alcohol than cigarettes or marijuana, with 7.7 million young people ages 12–20 in 2015 reporting that they drank alcohol beyond “just a few sips” in the past month, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The following are Squeglia’s top tips on how we might better protect our teens.

1. Parents, talk to your children about substance use.

Adolescents whose parents talk to them about alcohol use are 42 percent less likely to drink than teens whose parents don’t talk to them. Squeglia said the best conversations are casual ones that happen when you are doing other things (e.g., riding in the car, walking the dog). Know the research. 

2. Stop the myth that allowing your teen to drink demystifies it.

This is a common misconception, and parents need to stop perpetuating the myth. The earlier kids start drinking, the worse the outcomes. More permissive parenting – drinking with your kids, does not lead to better outcomes. There’s been a lot of research out on this.

3. The teen and adult brain on alcohol are different.

Alcohol affects adolescents differently than adults. They tend not to have the same motor slowing and sedating effects. They find alcohol more rewarding as well. Physiologically, they are able to keep going when they are drinking and are less likely to feel hung over the next morning. Teens generally drink half as often but twice as much as adults, so they are susceptible to binge drinking and the dangers that come with it. According to the NIH, young people consume more than 90 percent of their alcohol by binge drinking. An estimated 5.1 million youth reported binge drinking, for males 5 or more drinks and for females 4 or more drinks on the same occasion within a few hours, at least once in the past month.

4. Dare to delay – the longer you can delay, the better.

The younger a person starts using, whether alcohol or marijuana, the worse the outcomes for the brain, she explains. There’s an accelerated decline in gray matter, where thoughts and emotions are processed, and not as much of an increase in white matter, which is like the super highways area in the brain where neuronal connections happen.

5. See alcoholism as a developmental disorder.

Neural differences exist before and after youth start to drink. “There are interesting factors that exist in the brain before any of these kids ever take a sip of alcohol,” she said. “Alcohol and marijuana do affect how the brain develops, but this study suggests certain children have vulnerabilities that make them more susceptible even before that exposure affects their brain.”

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For more information about MUSC’s Just Say Know program, a science-based alcohol and drug prevention program designed for 8-12 grade students, call 843-792-9531 or email riverssy@musc.edu. To schedule a community talk, email Dr. Squeglia.