Dr. Gerry McCarney:

One of the key things on education and prevention is to get it in early. Many of the young people we see begin to experiment with drugs and alcohol between the ages of eight and ten. Research on the appreciation of alcohol as a positive thing between the ages of nine and 13 in an American city would suggest that is when it happens. It ties in with a change in one's capacity to think in the abstract.

The influence of family and community has a big impact on how people think. If they are exposed, we need to get in at a very early stage. According to the statistics, 9% of females and 13% of males under the age of 13 admit to having been drunk at least once in the previous month. They are alarming statistics. If we are going to talk about education, it has to come in early.