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Friday, February 8, 2013
Study Links Lower Drinking Age With Increased Risk of Binge Drinking
The ability to legally buy alcohol before age 21 is
associated with an increased risk of binge drinking later in life, a new
study suggests. The study included more than 39,000 people who started
drinking in the 1970s, when some states allowed people as young as 18 to
purchase alcohol.
People who lived in states with lower minimum drinking ages were not
more likely to consume more alcohol overall, or to drink more
frequently, compared with those in states with a legal drinking age of
21. However, when they did consume alcohol, they were more likely to
drink heavily, Science Daily reports.
“It wasn’t just that lower minimum drinking ages had a negative
impact on people when they were young,” lead author Andrew D. Plunk,
PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, said in a
news release. “Even decades later, the ability to legally purchase alcohol before age 21 was associated with more frequent binge drinking.”
Plunk found the effect of the minimum legal drinking age was greatest
among men who did not attend college. “Binge drinking on college
campuses is a very serious problem,” he said. “But it’s also important
not to completely forget about young people who aren’t on college
campuses. In our study, they had the greatest risk of suffering the
long-term consequences linked to lower drinking ages.”
Even decades later, men who grew up in states with a legal drinking
age less than 21 were 19 percent more likely to binge drink more than
once a month. Among those who did not attend college, the risk of binge
drinking more than once a month rose by 31 percent.
The study appears in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
From The Partnership of Drugfree.org
Thank you. The stories that have been posted on The Hope Share are giving others hope. A precious thing, when it comes to addiction.
You can keep this chain of hope going. Please add a comment to someone’s story today to remind others that they are not alone. A few words of encouragement – an “I understand” or “I know what you’re going through” can go a long way, inspiring others to keep working on their recovery.
Launching The Hope Share has
been a labor of love for me. We wanted to create a place where people
everywhere could share their stories and feel supported. Where together,
we could dispel the stigma of addiction and provide hope to those
suffering.
Please comment on a story today and offer inspiration to someone.
Because of you, we are changing lives. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Sincerely,
Kristi Rowe
Director
Director
The Partnership at Drugfree.org
P.S. If you’ve submitted your story but don’t see it yet on The Hope Share, please be patient. We’ve been inundated with stories, and I promise it will be published soon! In the meantime, please comment on someone's story and give them hope.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Sharing Your Story
By Doug Fields
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations...
Matthew 28:19a
When I use the word care, I’m referring to something deeper than simply being nice. Nice is nice. I appreciate it when someone opens the door for me or pulls out my chair. But caring for others involves something much more than being nice. I want to challenge you to learn to care for someone’s spiritual condition, to care about his connection with God, to care enough to make sure she knows about the good news of forgiveness and eternal life.
I know it’s not popular these days to talk about evangelism. Many Christians don’t even like that word anymore. But, I’m not asking you to do anything fanatical. In fact, if it’s easier for you, I want you to put aside the word evangelism if there’s too much negative baggage connected to it.
Instead, I’m inviting you to fall increasingly in love with God. That’s the plan. Fall in love with all His majesty and glory and goodness. Get to know the Savior as never before. When that happens, Scripture says that the love of Christ will compel you (2 Corinthians 5:14). When we know God intimately, that gives us a new power to care for the spiritual condition of others. Then, as God gives you opportunity, simply share your transformational story with others, where they can be exposed to an option that can move them from stuck to starting anew, with a Power that is greater than their own.
The important thing to remember is that people are hurting and can benefit from hearing of your experiences with Jesus. People in pain need to hear that they’re not alone and that someone else has made it out from underneath the pile. People who are lonely need to hear about how you’ve found community. People who live without a relationship with God need to hear that life is so much better when they discover it’s not all about them—it’s about God. People who are caught in a lifestyle of sin and darkness need to hear the story of someone who lived there and found the light.
Sharing personal stories about Jesus reveals the power of God. You don’t have to be a perfect Christian, have everything together, or know all of the answers. God invites you to be in the process—and perhaps, along the way, help someone else get a fresh start. When that happens, hold on…you’re in for a spiritual growth ride of your life.
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