Movement through early drinking milestones was accelerated in certain individuals. Although historically the term “telescoping” has referred to an accelerated trajectory from first drink to first alcohol dependence (or first treatment entry) among women, the present study indicates that more rapid progression for females is not necessarily limited to the alcohol dependence landmark. In this clinical sample, girls showed accelerated progression marked by a “switch-over” where girls had later average onset than boys for earlier milestones but earlier onset for later milestones. Girls reached the HED milestones sooner than boys despite sex differences in blood ethanol concentrations associated with body mass and body water content. Interestingly, girls were more likely than boys to attain each of the milestones, perhaps due to the high-risk nature of the clinical sample.
