Individuals who are younger when they begin drinking alcohol may face a higher risk of alcohol dependence throughout life, at a younger age and consisting of multiple episodes, according to results of a national survey published in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Approximately 1 million U.S. high school students are frequent heavy drinkers, according to background information in the article. Previous surveys have found that 28 percent of high school students begin drinking before age 13 years, and that those who do are more likely to drink until they are intoxicated than those who wait until age 17 years or older to begin drinking. Heavy drinking places these students at risk for dangerous behaviors, including driving while intoxicated. These students also more often exhibit behaviors including carrying guns; injuring themselves in fights or suicide attempts; having unprotected sex; and earning low grades in school.
Ralph W. Hingson, Sc.D., M.P.H., and colleagues at the Youth Alcohol Prevention Center, Boston University School of Public Health, analyzed results from a national survey of 43,093 adults age 18 years and older conducted in 2001 and 2002. Interviewers asked questions about demographics, behavior, history of depression, drug use, family history of alcohol dependence and the age at which they began drinking. They identified respondents with alcohol dependence based on meeting at least three of seven standard criteria: tolerance for alcohol; withdrawal symptoms; drinking more alcohol or for longer periods of time than intended; willingness but inability to cut down on drinking; spending a great deal of time on alcohol-related behaviors; forgoing important social, work-related or recreational activities in favor of drinking; and continued drinking despite related physical or psychological problems. Individuals who met the criteria for alcohol dependence were asked how old they were when they first began to have several of these experiences at once as well as how many episodes (periods separated by at least one year of not drinking or not having these experiences) they had over their lifetimes.