Although both social support from family and friends were associated with lower levels of alcohol consumption, our findings indicate some age differences in these associations. Higher support from family was associated with lower levels of drinking among emerging adults and middle-aged adults, but not young adults. In contrast, higher support from friends was associated with lower alcohol use only among young adults (ages 30–44). It is interesting that while younger adults may have greater levels of perception of social support from friends, we did not find an association between friend support and alcohol use among emerging adults. This lack of association may in part reflect that alcohol use often occurs in social contexts among younger individuals (LaBrie et al., 2007). Thus, it is possible that support from friends in younger adulthood years may not provide increased social control in limiting risky behaviors, including alcohol use. Because older adults’ social networks tend to be smaller and include mostly emotionally close relationships, such as close family members, it is unsurprising that we found a link between support from family and alcohol use
