Alcohol dependence (AD) is a serious public health concern and contributes to 1.8 million deaths worldwide (WHO: Global Burden of Disease, 2009). In the U.S. alone, 11% of the adult population meets criteria for DSM-IV AD during their lifetime and 26% of those who drink alcohol endorse at least one dependence criterion during their lifetime (Grant et al., 2004; Saha et al., 2006). A consistently studied contributor to severity of alcohol dependence is age at first drink - according to the National Household Survey of Drug Use and Health (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2005) 86% of alcohol initiates in the U.S. are aged 20 or younger (mean age at 1st drink of 16.8 years). A wealth of epidemiological research suggests that underage drinking, particularly initiation of alcohol use at a young age, is associated with increased alcohol involvement, including heavier drinking, DUIs (Hingson et al., 2001; Hingson et al., 2002; Hingson et al., 2000; Hingson et al., 2004; Hingson et al., 2006; Hingson et al., 2008; Lynskey et al., 2007) and importantly, alcohol dependence (Chou and
