Age at First Alcohol Use: A Risk Factor for the Development of Alcohol Disorders

Abstract

First use of alcohol at ages 11-14 greatly heightens the risk of progression to the development of alcohol disorders and therefore is a reasonable target for intervention strategies that seek to delay first use as a means of averting problems later in life.

From First Drug Use to Drug Dependence Developmental Periods of Risk for Dependence upon Marijuana, Cocaine, and Alcohol

“…Unless experimental laboratory studies have been misleading, the transition rates experienced by community-dwelling drug users are likely to have multiple determinants such as 'host' characteristics, as well as local variation in availability of each drug, prevailing routes of administration, dosage forms, and daily doses. For example, past and recent studies show that early onset of drug use is a predictor of subsequent development of drugrelated problems (Anthony and Petronis 1995;Grant 1998;Grant and Dawson 1998;Hanna and Grant 1999), and evidence from DeWit et al (2000) links earlier onset of alcohol use to greater cumulative risk of developing alcohol dependence, while Obot et al (2001) have found that children of alcohol dependent parents are more likely to be early onset users of alcohol and other drugs. In addition, recent epidemiological evidence converges with clinical and laboratory evidence in support of the idea that general repertoires of behavior might displace or prevent drug use (Johanson et al 1996).…”

“…The estimates of this study, and from prior population studies of this type (e.g., Kandel and Logan 1984;Eaton et al 1989;DeWit et al 1997DeWit et al , 2000, represent population averages over the experiences of all individuals in the study populations, including the higher and lower risk subgroups delineated in the aforementioned studies. As such, these estimates have some utility in clinical practice and in research, akin to the utility of other averaged values.…”

“…By comparison, among persons who had tried alcoholic beverages at least once, about one in 6 or 7, or 15%, had become alcohol dependent (Anthony et al 1994). In the present study, we extend this look at the comparative epidemiology of drug dependence, but here our focus is upon estimation of the age-specific and time-specific risks of progression from first drug use to dependence, separately for marijuana, cocaine, and (for comparison) alcoholic beverages (hereinafter, 'alcohol').Prior studies have conveyed estimates of age-specific risk for first alcohol use and alcohol dependence, as well as risk estimates for initiation of illicit use and dependence on controlled drugs in general (e.g., Kandel and Logan 1984;Eaton et al 1989;Warner et al 1995;Chen and Kandel 1995;Johnson and Gerstein 1998;Perkonigg et al 1999;DeWit et al 2000). The role of early onset of drug use and progression to initial and problematic use of other drugs also has been studied in some detail (e.g., Kandel 1985;Anthony and Petronis 1995;Grant 1998;Grant and Dawson 1998).…”

“…Prior studies have conveyed estimates of age-specific risk for first alcohol use and alcohol dependence, as well as risk estimates for initiation of illicit use and dependence on controlled drugs in general (e.g., Kandel and Logan 1984;Eaton et al 1989;Warner et al 1995;Chen and Kandel 1995;Johnson and Gerstein 1998;Perkonigg et al 1999;DeWit et al 2000). The role of early onset of drug use and progression to initial and problematic use of other drugs also has been studied in some detail (e.g., Kandel 1985;Anthony and Petronis 1995;Grant 1998;Grant and Dawson 1998).…”

Effects of increased alcohol availability during adolescence on the risk of all‐cause and cause‐specific disability pension: a natural experiment

“…Some research suggests that individuals consuming alcohol already in early adolescence are more vulnerable to the long‐term health consequences compared to individuals who begin consuming alcohol in late adolescence 25, 26, 27, 28. Further, evidence suggests that the consequence of consuming alcohol is more severe among those with lower socio‐economic status 29, 30, but little is known about the potential differential responsiveness to a decrease in the legal age limit for alcohol purchases.…”