These results have potentially important implications for prevention models targeting early drinking among youth. Interventions are available to improve these parenting practices (e.g., Lochman and Wells, 2004). Parents could potentially decrease risk for alcoholism among their vulnerable offspring by improving their parenting skills and subsequently reducing their child’s externalizing behavior. This is an exciting and testable proposition. However, it remains an empirical question whether reducing behavior problems in at-risk children would improve their behavioral risk for later alcohol problems. For example, nine months of intensive behavior therapy, that included behavior management training for parents of 7–9 year old children with ADHD, predicted a decreased likelihood of substance use experimentation in early adolescence (Molina et al., 2007). However, these effects were not sustained by high school age (Molina et al., 2008). In contrast, the Fast Track study showed long-lasting effects of a 10-year intervention for the most at-risk children. An intensive multi-component intervention followed by regular and periodic sessions decreased ninth grade antisocial behavior and lowered ADHD symptom scores (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, 2007). These results suggest the possibility that long-term interventions may be needed to sustain behavioral improvements into late adolescence when risk for heavy drinking escalates.
