results should be made with caution. Because the study was not based on a clinical sample, an estimate of a clinical effect was not provided. Nevertheless, the findings have important clinical implications since they strongly suggest that individuals who postpone regular drinking beyond mid-adolescence experience fewer clinical symptoms of alcoholism and drink less dangerously (i.e. to intoxication/drunkenness) during their early adult years than individuals who begin regular drinking before mid-adolescence. These findings also are noteworthy, given that youth who have an early onset of alcohol use are relatively more likely to develop alcohol use disorders.33 This study has important implications for the prevention of alcohol problems. The findings clearly indicate that delaying the onset of regular alcohol use may protect young people from developing alcohol problems during the transition to adulthood and beyond.
