People who start drinking at early age likelier to become alcoholics later in life

A new study has revealed that the earlier people start drinking and get drunk, the more likely they are to develop alcoholism later in life.

The study evaluated the risk associated with age of onset (AO) of drinking and delays to first intoxication in a high-school sample, finding that both an early AO and a quick progression to drinking to intoxication were associated with high-school student alcohol use and binge drinking.

Meghan E. Morean, assistant professor of psychology at Oberlin College, Ohio, said that starting to use alcohol at an early age and quickly progressing to drinking to intoxication jointly are related to underage alcohol use and binge drinking and this research also focused on high school students.

Research suggested that teenagers who have their first drink at an early age drink more heavily, on average, than those who start drinking later on.

William R. Corbin, associate professor and director of clinical training in the department of psychology at Arizona State University said that if age of first intoxication or delay from first use to first intoxication, was a unique risk factor above and beyond age of first use, prevention efforts should also target those who have already begun drinking in an effort to prevent the transition to heavy drinking.

He further added that parental monitoring plays a substantial role in preventing onset of use, as children of parents who know where they are and who they are with are at substantially lower risk for heavy drinking.

Research will be published in the issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.