Alcohol use often begins in the second decade of life, with the first use of alcohol typically occurring in early adolescence (13–14 years of age; Faden 2006). Results from the National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiological Survey indicated that individuals initiating alcohol use before 14 years old had a 4-fold higher rate of lifetime alcohol dependence than individuals that initiated use after the age of 20 (Grant and Dawson 1997). Moreover, over half the adolescents interviewed in other studies reported binge drinking episodes (Andersson et al., 2007; Mohshouwer et al., 2008). Twin data suggest a linear relationship between age of first use and rate of alcohol dependence, and suggest common genetic influences on age of initiation of alcohol use and alcohol dependence (Sartor et al, 2009).
