Hospitalization of U.S. underage drinkers common: study

Hospitalization of U.S. underage drinkers common: study

Hospitalization for underage drinking is common in the United States, and it comes with a price tag -- the estimated total cost for these hospitalizations is about 755 million U.S. dollars per year, according to a Mayo Clinic study published online Wednesday in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

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Of the roughly 40,000 youth ages 15 to 20 hospitalized in 2008, the most recent data available, 79 percent were drunk when they arrived at the hospital, researchers said. Alcohol abuse and addiction and drinking-related emotional problems were among the diagnoses.

Among all U.S. teens, roughly 18 of every 10,000 adolescent males and 12 of every 10,000 females were hospitalized after consuming alcohol in the year studied. In all, 700,000 young people in that age group were hospitalized for various reasons, including non-alcohol-related conditions, in 2008.

The researchers also found that 36 percent of U.S. high-school students report having consumed alcohol at least once, although the prevalence of heavy drinking is lower (seven percent).

"When teenagers drink, they tend to drink excessively, leading to many destructive consequences including motor vehicle accidents, injuries, homicides and suicides," Mayo Clinic addiction expert and psychiatrist Terry Schneekloth said in a statement.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet