CDC Bemoans Failure to Decrease Overall Alcohol Product Use among Teens, Despite Large Decline in Current Drinking

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of current drinking among high school students has declined dramatically in the past decade and a half, < a href= " https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/trends/us_alcohol_trend_yrbs.pdf " > dropping < /a > from 50.0% in 1999 to 34.9% in 2013. One would think that would be cause for celebration. However, the CDC is telling the public that despite this decline in drinking among youth, overall use of alcohol products has stayed the same. < br / > < br / > The Office on Alcohol and Health issued a statement yesterday, arguing that the recent declines in youth drinking have been undermined and offset by an increase in the use of new and emerging types of alcohol product use. These products, which look just like traditional alcohol drinks and are consumed in a similar way, threaten the public ' s health according to CDC because they look like traditional alcohol drinks and are therefore re-normalizing drinking and serving as a gateway to traditional alcohol use. < br / > < br / > However, an investigation by < i > The Rest of the Story < /i > has revealed that the drinks which CDC is now classifying as " alcohol products " do not actually contain alcohol. In fact, our investigation revealed that these products were created with the specific intention of providing youth with beverages that look like alcohol products and are consumed the same way, but which are much safer because ...

Source: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary - July 21, 2016 Category: Addiction Source Type: blogs