the level that could cause negative effects. However, during late adolescence (from ages 15 to 17), an elevated level of alcohol use might be sufficient to cause long-term negative consequences by damaging one’s central nervous system (Howard, 2006) or by impairing social functioning (Ellickson et al., 2003). Second, increased alcohol use might prevent the desistance of antisocial behavior during late adolescence. The period between ages 16 and 20 is a rich developmental period that is characterized by increased responsibility and tasks to accomplish that are important for a successful transition to adulthood (Brown et al., 2008). These changes are not compatible with antisocial lifestyles, and the normative trajectories of antisocial behavior during late adolescence generally follow a decreasing trend (Moffitt, 1993). However, elevated alcohol use during this period may keep an adolescent from desisting from antisocial behavior by interfering with his/her ability to manage developmental demands (Hussong et al., 2004).
