If, indeed, drinking becomes an increasingly important peer-related activity as youth progress through early adolescence (Burk et al., 2012), onset may play an increasing role as both a reason for friendship selection and an element of peer exposure. Even though Mercken et al. (2012) did not find an age effect in an early adolescent sample, the theoretical case is plausible for alcohol onset. Earlier onset may index environmental risks for early problem behavior; in contrast, drinking in older youth is much more normative and is associated with popularity (Allen et al., 2012; Burk et al., 2012).
