as one that is coming into the field of substance abuse & a recovering alcoholic, i know first hand that we, as clinicians, have to 'get the word out'that drinking can be dangerous & it isn't cool to get drunk & be a fool. it can be down right deadly. if you're lucky, you get to talk about it & help others. we must educate our young.

We have known for centuries, that heavy lifetime drinkers are at high risk for organic brain damage. This article only confirms that the damage is continuous, and cumulative, rather than sudden. Victims of OBD don't just wake up one morning unable to find their brain. I am sure that it will one day be demonstrated that it starts with the first drink, even though the change is far too small to be recorded with today's science.

I find it amazing that they had to do this study. The young brain up to the age of around 20 is still developing and when young drinkers start consuming even moderate amounts of alcohol, it is inevitable that they are going to damage any number of organs but particularly the brain. Sure, it must help to have empirical backing for what most people know, but will this knowledge actually lead to a reduction in alcohol consumption? Young people know the consequences of drugs (well, at least they should know - we all spend a fortune on educating them!) and it is only the bad example set by the media (TV in particular), films, and parents that makes them think that perhaps drink ain't so bad. In the UK adolescents can buy drink and consume it long before their peers in the US. I was refused alcohol in Colorado Springs as a junior officer able to die for my country but I couldn't buy an alcholic drink becasue I was under 21! And we don't do anything about underage drinking in the UK except penalise (just) the people who sell it. I personally think open air public drinking, drinking in vehicles (again the US is I believe far more strict on this), selling to minors and fines for parents who encourage underage drinking are measures that should be taken now. We are building a physical and mental health time bomb for the future. If young people spent a day with me dealing with 20 somethings with drink induced mental problems, they would hopefully never touch a drop again....although, most probably would! And I'm not advocating prohibition!