Although studies of alcohol reactivity and sensitivity do not include the administration of alcohol to an adolescent population, recent investigations of level of response to alcohol have utilized a self-rating questionnaire with teens. In a pair of studies by Schuckit and colleagues (2005a,b), adolescents estimated the number of standard drinks needed to obtain up to four effects of intoxication (e.g., slurred speech, falling asleep, stumbling) for the first five drinking occasions. Results mirrored those found within adult alcohol challenges, indicating that level of response to alcohol as a genetically influenced phenotype can be examined ethically and effectively through the use of a self-report questionnaire. Furthermore, the average number of drinks reported by male adolescents was significantly more than that reported by females in order to experience similar effects of drinking. Thus, the greater quantity of alcohol required to achieve intoxication for boys may contribute to increased alcohol involvement as they move into young adulthood.
