talking with a doctor and requesting help if drinking becomes an issue.not serving alcohol to those who should not be drinking, including those who have already had too much and those under the age of 21 years.making the decision ahead of time to not drink too much.following recommended guidelines for consuming no more than 1 drink per day for females and no more than 2 drinks per day for males.To help prevent alcohol misuse or AUD, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends: Prolonged alcohol misuse: As well as drinking from an early age, misusing alcohol for a long period can increase a person’s risk of developing AUD.Ī person can take steps, both as an individual and as part of a community, to help prevent substance or alcohol misuse.Childhood trauma: People who have experienced trauma may be more vulnerable to developing AUD.Mental health conditions: People with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to develop AUD.Genetics and family history: A person’s risk of developing AUD is higher if one or more of their parents has unhealthy drinking patterns. However, there are other factors that increase a person’s risk of developing AUD. This could suggest that early alcohol use may act as a “gateway” to developing AUD later in life. NIAAA states that, according to a recent survey, people who started drinking before age 15 years were 5 times more likely to report having AUD than those who waited until age 21 years or later to begin drinking. Risk of alcohol use disorderĪccording to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the early use of alcohol is a risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD).ĪUD is a medical condition that means a person continues to consume alcohol despite the harmful consequences and impact it may have on their life. These substances may just be the first step for those already vulnerable to substance use or misuse.ĭue to this, it is hard to say whether alcohol is a gateway drug in the sense that it causes someone to try other drugs, as the causes could be due to environmental or social factors.įind out more about the risk factors for addiction. However, NIDA also confirms that many factors increase a person’s likelihood of using drugs. NIDA also states that a person typically uses alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis before progressing to more harmful substances. This is known as cross-sensitization, where a person can replace one substance with another for a stronger reaction. 12th-graders, those who started using alcohol in sixth grade reported using more illegal drugs more often than those who started using alcohol in ninth grade or later.Īccording to NIDA, alcohol can prime the brain for a heightened response to other drugs. There is no simple answer to this question.Ī 2015 study found that, out of a sample of U.S. This could be why some studies find that the early use of substances such as tobacco can increase the risk of using more harmful drugs later in life. The organization proposes that people who are more vulnerable to drug use may start by taking more readily available substances, such as cannabis, tobacco, or alcohol. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) states that other factors may be responsible for a person’s increased drug use, such as their social environment. One study from 2016 found no relationship between teenagers using tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis and an increased risk of using illegal drugs later in life. However, evidence to support the gateway theory is mixed. This is called the gateway theory, or gateway hypothesis.Ī 2019 review of studies from 1968–2018 found that nicotine use among teenagers may increase their likelihood of using other drugs later in life, such as cocaine, cannabis, and heroin. The phrase “gateway drug” refers to any substance a person uses to get “high” that could potentially lead them to use stronger, more dangerous drugs in the future. Share on Pinterest Inuk Studio/Getty Images
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