Early Alcohol Initiation and Later Alcohol Problems

Teen drinking is associated with many immediate risks, including a higher risk of injury and a tendency to engage in risky sexual behaviors. Teens that drink regularly may also experience difficulties in academic achievement and in relating to parents and siblings.

Some studies have shown that early initiation of alcohol use also causes problems later in life. Research has shown a connection between teen alcohol use and alcohol use disorder in adulthood. Teens that use alcohol into adulthood expose their bodies to toxins that can heighten the risk of cancer and other diseases for a longer period of time.

A new study (Guttmannova et al., 2011) investigated the link between early alcohol initiation and drinking problems in adulthood. The researchers used data from the Seattle Social Development Project, in which there were 808 participants recruited from the Seattle public school system and were all in the fifth grade in 1985.

The participants in the study reported past-month drinking each year, from fifth through 12th grade, and then every three years after that until the age of 33. The age of initiation of alcohol use was recorded as well as the age at which regular drinking began.

The researchers recognized "any alcohol consumption" as drinking more than a sip or two of alcohol on any occasion. "Regular drinking" was defined as drinking on three or more occasions each month.

The researchers were able to record data in which 86 percent of the participants began alcohol consumption before the age of 21 and presented complete alcohol consumption data through to age 33.

The Diagnostic Interview Schedule was used to assess consequences of drinking behaviors based on DSM-IV criteria.

The results showed that participants who initiated regular alcohol consumption between ages 15 and 17 were significantly more likely to develop a lifetime alcohol dependence than those who began drinking after the age of 21. Surprisingly, the results showed that initiation of alcohol use and the regular use of alcohol before the age of 14 were not associated with any future alcohol use or dependence.

The results of the study may be limited by the use of self-report the gather data about drinking behaviors. The information gathered was on past-month alcohol consumption, which may result in an over- or underestimation of actual alcohol used.

The results of the study are significant because they contradict earlier findings about the connection between early drinking initiation and alcohol use disorders in adulthood. However, this study's unique design as a prospective rather than retrospective study may provide adequate explanation for the difference in findings.