Skip to content

Condition: Post with Page_List

Listen
Search
Please enter at least 3 characters.

Latest Stories

Teen male drinking alcohol.
KatarzynaBialasiewicz/Getty Images

KYW Newsradio's Medical Reports are sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. 

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor


PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Substance abuse is a critical issue for all age groups, including for adolescents.

An important approach to helping with issues is to look at potential risk factors. 

A very interesting study has found that adolescent girls who reach puberty early and have inadequate parental supervision tend to begin drinking alcohol earlier and binge-drink sooner than their peers. 

This is a major issue because we know that early use of alcohol is associated with teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. 

This certainly does not mean that a teenager who develops early will face these issues, but it is important because parents need to know statistics and how that can be used to counsel children.