adult drug and alcohol dependence (Chassin et al., 2002; Schulenberg et al., 1996) and health and medical problems (Oesterle et al., 2004). Since the initiation and progression in heavy episodic drinking coincides with several hallmarks of normative adolescent development (e.g. puberty, autonomy from adults, increased impulsivity; Chassin et al., 2002), understanding its etiology requires a developmental perspective that accounts for individual, family, and peer influences (Shin et al., 2009). The current investigation focused on understanding how genetic and environmental influences impact developmental patterns of heavy episodic drinking during this critical developmental period.
