Alcohol (ethanol) consumption by adolescents and young adults continues to be a problem. A multi-national study estimated that between 20% and 40% of adolescents have engaged in binge drinking (Marshall, 2014), defined by NIAAA as “a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL.” Early age of first use and binge drinking both predict increased risk for alcohol use disorders in adulthood (reviewed in Spear, 2015). Extreme binge drinking is of particular concern, with 10.5% of 12th graders reporting consumption of 10 or more drinks on one occasion (Spear, 2015). Two-thirds of the alcohol consumed by college students is consumed by the 20% of them who are frequent binge drinkers (Spear, 2015). A review by Jacobus and Tapert (2013) reports differences in gray and white matter in adolescents exposed to alcohol; white matter volume decreases and integrity is poorer in cortical and subcortical projections. Neurocognitive performance is poorer, with impaired attention, executive functions and memory (Jacobus and Tapert, 2013).
