Q: Do kids who start drinking at an early age increase their chances of developing alcohol problems later in life?
A: Research has shown that the early use of alcohol does increase the chances of developing a problem with alcohol as an adult. In a large, well-designed study, it was found that almost half of people who began drinking before age 14 were dependent on alcohol at some point in their lives, compared to 9 percent of those who began drinking after age 20.
These findings also were controlled for a family history of alcohol problems and other risk factors, which suggests that early drinking is a separate risk factor for the development of future alcohol problems.
It also has been shown that early drinking is a risk factor for illicit drug use. About half of people who began drinking at age 14 or younger have also used other illicit drugs, compared to 10 percent of those who began drinking at age 20 or older. The early drinkers also were three times more likely to become drug dependent at some point in their lives compared to those who began drinking after age 20.
Q: I have a friend who has bipolar disease. He said that medication to treat bipolar disease can be used to treat an alcoholic. Is that because many people who are alcoholic also have bipolar illness?
A: I am not sure what medication your friend heard about. There is a study that showed the medication aripiprazole (trade name Abilify), which is used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, may be helpful in treating alcohol dependence.
In that study, 18 social drinkers were randomly assigned to receive either no medication, a small dose of aripiprazole, or a larger dose the day before the experiment. During the experiment, everyone consumed three standard alcoholic drinks. The researchers found that among people who were given aripiprazole, there was a decrease in the euphoric effects of alcohol and an increase in the sedative effects.
Due to these findings, the researchers believe that this medication may have value as a treatment for alcohol dependence. However, it was also noted that much more research is needed before one can draw conclusive evidence. And this study was conducted with social drinkers, not those who suffer from alcoholism.
Regarding your question about whether this medication may be helpful because many alcoholics have bipolar illness, while it is true that there are high rates of co-occurring bipolar illness and alcohol dependence, the researchers believed that this medication may be of value due to its effect on certain receptors in the brain and how they react to alcohol rather than on its impact on possible bipolar illness.
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Send questions about addictions or related problems to: Take The First Step, c/o The Daily News, 23 Liberty St., Newburyport, MA 01950; or send e-mail to michael_levy@cabhealth.org. Questions will be answered in confidence by a clinical team led by Dr. Michael Levy, director of clinical treatment services at CAB Health & Recovery Services in Peabody and author of "Take Control of Your Drinking ... and You May Not Need to Quit."
