Drinking before 15 boosts risk of later alcohol abuse

By HealthDay News

"Having that first drink before age 15 puts the imbiber at a higher risk for developing an alcohol problem later in life, a new report suggests."

"'The key finding of this study was that people who started drinking before age 15, and to a lesser extent those who started drinking at ages 15 to 17, were more likely to become alcohol-dependent as adults than people who waited until 18 or older to start drinking,' corresponding study author Deborah A. Dawson, a staff scientist at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism said in a news release from the institute."

"The finding was expected to be published in the December issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research..."

Full article available at http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/healthday/2008/10/02/drinking-b...