Study Examines Correlation Between Youth Ownership of Alcohol-Branded Products and Alcohol Consumption Later in Life
A Dartmouth University study found that middle school students who own alcohol-branded items were more likely to initiate alcohol use than those who did not own such items. The study's sample pool included 2000 10-14 year-old middle school students.
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Headline: "Study Examines Correlation Between Youth Ownership of Alcohol-Branded Products and Alcohol Consumption Later in Life"
From TFA:
"Our research found that students who owned an alcohol-branded item were significantly more likely to have initiated alcohol use than students who did not own one. We recommend that parents discourage their children from wearing these products and that schools limit the display of alcohol-branded items among students."
TFA doesn't state the age of onset of alcohol use, but it strongly suggests that the age is under 21 years.
Though age of use may be "later in life" than 14 years old, it is still not after age of majority.
So, at least the researchers aren't bemoaning that children who wear beer shirts and hats grow up to be adults who try the devil's brew.
Posted by: Nobody | March 23, 2006 02:43 PM
A fundamental problem with the whole test is correlation versus causation. I'd imagine that kids who own alcohol-branded products are already, before ownership, more likely to use alcohol later in life. Thankfully, the researchers acknowledged this problem (however many of the stories reporting the study ignored this).
Posted by: Matt Nazareth | March 23, 2006 10:48 PM