Binge-like behavior has been observed in selectively bred alcohol preferring (P) rats, with adults and peri-adolescents of both sexes readily achieving blood ethanol levels ≥ 80 mg% (Bell et al., 2011, Bell, et al., 2014). Intermittent access to ethanol using multiple scheduled access protocols enhances this binge-like drinking (Bell, et al., 2014). Peri-adolescent selectively bred rats consume more alcohol than their adult counterparts (Bell et al., 2014). A study of adult and adolescent P rats using a multiple scheduled access protocol reported that adult male rats drank 1.5–2.5 g/kg per session while adolescent males consumed an average of 2.7 g/kg, achieving blood ethanol levels of 80 mg% and 100 mg% respectively (Bell et al., 2011). At comparable blood alcohol levels, both human and animal adolescents show less sedation and better motor coordination than adults, and the rewarding and reinforcing properties of alcohol are higher in adolescents (Bell et al., 2014, Spear 2015).
