Alcohol (ethanol) use is typically initiated during adolescence. More than 25% of 8th graders (13 years old) and 50% of 10th graders have used alcohol in the past year. Drinking, especially binge drinking, escalates during adolescence; 20% of 12th graders report consuming ≥ 5 drinks per occasion, and 10.5% consumed ≥ 10 drinks per occasion within the past 2 weeks (Spear, 2015). Adolescents are especially vulnerable to brain impairment by excessive ethanol exposure (Geil et al., 2014; Jacobus & Tapert, 2013; Spear, 2015).
