Early Drinking Linked to Alcohol Dependence
From Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs News:
Youths who begin drinking alcohol early in life are significantly more likely to become dependent on alcohol later -- many before they even reach the legal drinking age -- according to a study of 43,000 U.S. adults.
For example, 47 percent of those who began drinking before age 14 later become alcohol-dependent, compared to 9 percent of those who started drinking at age 21 or older.
The survey found that people who began drinking in their early teens were more likely to become dependent on alcohol at some point in their lives; in fact, about half met the criteria for alcohol dependence by the time they hit age 21.
"This analysis suggests that interventions that delay drinking onset may not only reduce the acute consequences of drinking among youth, but may help reduce alcohol dependence among adolescents and adults," said Hingson.
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