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Around 45% teenagers will have tried alcohol at some time. The average age of a child’s first unsupervised drink of alcohol is 14 years old.
How does alcohol affect asthma?
Some people are allergic to additives in alcohol (ethanol, sulphites , histamine and egg or seafood proteins which can be used in the manufacturing process) If your teenager has food allergies they may be more susceptible to an asthma attack if these additives are present.
If teenagers and young people are regularly using alcohol they may be putting themselves at risk by not taking inhalers when they have been drinking.
Drinking also reduces inhibition and may lead to more risk taking behaviour. Recreational drugs, getting into a car when someone else has been drinking, unprotected sex, physical injury.
