These analyses represent the first evaluation of an LR-based model in a large number of 13-year-old drinkers studied outside the United States. The results from the ALSPAC protocol regarding the key domains of LR, ALCOUT, AGE, and SEX are similar to those generated from the adult and adolescent samples to date [10, 12, 14]. Thus, while data were generated in only one large sample from a limited geographic area and limited demography, the results support potential generalizability of elements of the model developed and tested in the U.S. regarding how a low LR to alcohol relates to drinking practices in additional samples studied very early in the drinking career. The average age of 13 years, along with the low frequency of drinking (two days a month) and low intake (an average of two drinks per occasion) support the contention that the low LR as measured here was not likely to be a consequence of tolerance acquired in the context of regular heavy drinking, but may reflect innate sensitivity to alcohol.
