Medical expert of the article
New publications
Teenage binge drinking leads to alcohol dependence in the future
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Teenagers are unaware of the negative consequences of alcohol consumption, and as a result, become addicted at a young age. In addition, the number of drinking teenagers is growing every year, as is their consumption of strong alcoholic beverages. Such data was presented by scientists from the University of Valencia.
"There is a belief that students consume more alcohol than teenagers because they have more access to alcoholic beverages. However, this is not true. Teenagers and students drink at roughly the same rate, and this applies to girls too," says lead author Miguel Hernandez de Elche.
The researchers collected data on 6,009 adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 25 between 2007 and 2009. They selected those who reported episodes of alcohol consumption for the study.
"We found that students are progressing in their craving for alcohol. When they were teenagers, they also drank, but not in such quantities. However, today's teenagers consume as much as university students," the researchers comment.
If the level of alcohol consumption by schoolchildren and students is the same, this means that students, having reached the age of 20, will drink more than current university students. Experts emphasize that abuse can affect the future life of teenagers, causing problems with work, as well as financial difficulties.
"Almost all teenagers who started drinking alcohol at the age of 13 or 14 drank high-alcohol drinks in large quantities. Those who are currently university students started with less strong drinks, such as beer, and drank it in relatively small quantities," says Dr. de Elche.
To justify their addiction, teenagers cite problems in life and personal aspects, while students claim that drinking alcohol is an attempt to diversify their leisure time.
However, the main reason for drinking alcohol is to have fun, both for teenagers and students.
As for the awareness of teenagers and students about the harm and consequences of drinking alcohol, it is almost non-existent. This applies to both light drinkers and those who party in style. They only know about the consequences they see on TV - drunk driving or situations of violence and aggression caused by drunkenness. They also know about the consequences of intoxication, experienced directly on themselves - nausea, vomiting, dizziness and hangover.
Overall, the authors note that teenagers are unaware of the negative consequences of alcohol consumption. They believe that there is nothing to worry about. However, the problem exists and it must be acknowledged.