Twenty patients between the ages of 11 and 15 years who presented at hospital in 1981 having ingested alcohol were studied. Two were poisoned by another person. The data on the 18 adolescents who poisoned themselves were analysed in detail. Three groups emerged: A--4 patients had drunk alone as an experiment, act of mischief or act of defiance; B--9 patients had been involved in peer group activity; C--5 patients had either made an attempt at suicide or a plea for help. There was a predominance of females. The average age was 13 years 5 months. Most alcohol was obtained from the patients' own homes. The higher-proof beverages caused most problems. Four patients in group C combined alcohol with medicinal drugs and 2 of these had had previous episodes of self-poisoning. No clear evidence of habitual drinking emerged. Only those 8 patients who had emotional or behavioural problems prior to admission were followed up. The importance of the home as a source of alcohol and the pre-existing instability of many of the adolescents indicates that in the management of these young people and in any preventative work the whole family must be involved.
对1981年因摄入酒精而住院的20名年龄在11至15岁之间的患者进行了研究。其中2人是被他人下毒。对18名自行中毒的青少年的数据进行了详细分析。分为三组：A组——4名患者独自饮酒是为了做实验、搞恶作剧或表示反抗；B组——9名患者参与了同伴群体活动；C组——5名患者要么试图自杀，要么寻求帮助。女性占多数。平均年龄为13岁5个月。大多数酒精是从患者自己家中获取的。酒精度数较高的饮料造成的问题最多。C组中有4名患者将酒精与药物混合，其中2人曾有过自行中毒的经历。没有出现习惯性饮酒的确切证据。仅对入院前有情绪或行为问题的8名患者进行了随访。家庭作为酒精来源的重要性以及许多青少年原本就存在的不稳定状况表明，在管理这些年轻人以及任何预防工作中，整个家庭都必须参与进来。
