Current statistics indicate alcohol consumption during adolescence is common, with approximately 12% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders and 28% of 12th grade seniors reporting heavy episodic drinking (more than 5 drinks in a row) within the past 2 weeks of survey (Johnston et al., 2004; Masten et al., 2008). Heavy drinking increases among college students, 44% report binge drinking every 2 weeks and 19% report more than 3 binge-drinking episodes per week (O'Malley et al., 1998; Wechsler et al., 1995). Adolescents have low sedative responses to alcohol, enabling them to consume higher quantities of alcohol, leading to high blood alcohol levels (Silveri and Spear, 1998). Adolescents with alcohol use disorder average 14 drinks per occasion (Deas et al., 2000). The lifetime prevalence of past-year alcohol dependence peaks at 12% between the ages of 18 and 20, and declines across adulthood (Masten et al., 2008). The numerous changes in brain structure coupled with the high levels of alcohol consumption provide a strong rationale to conduct basic studies to understand the impact of underage drinking over the lifespan.
