Alcohol in Youth May Lead to Gambling Behavior
A study on the effects of alcohol in adolescence may indicate that drinking at a youthful age can increase tendencies to indulge in gambling behavior. Testing on rats by Ilene Bernstein of the University of Washington shows rats fed alcohol are more prone later in life to high-risk gambling choices, according to an article in Science magazine.
Because rats avoid drinking alcohol, they were fed spiked gelatin, the equivalent of frozen Jell-O shots, a popular campus drinking technique. Then the rats, along with a control group, were given the opportunity to learn that choosing one lever would produce steady but small supplies of sugar, while another level would lead to bigger sugar cubes, but less consistently.
Rats without alcohol exposure quickly figured the most profitable lever to use. But rats that had alcohol exposure in their pasts indicated they had learned the use of the levers, but greatly preferred the risky, high-reward lever, even when the other lever was resulting in a far greater overall payout.
Scientists say the tests help prove alcohol can cause long-term affects on developing nervous systems.
"It's a good step forward," says Martin Paulus of the University of California at San Diego, of the test results.
