Early onset of drinking always had a bad reputation and with good reason. According to researchers from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in the US, early onset of drinking and intoxication may lead to heavy drinking and dependence on alcohol.
The team concluded the study on the correlation between age (less than 15 years) and contexts of the first intoxication such as one's own home, friends' homes or outdoor settings, and the problems that arise in these contexts.
For their research, the team studied 405 adolescents (aged 15-18 years) drinkers. The team studied 405 adolescents (aged 15-18 years) drinkers for the purpose of the research. The findings that were published in the journal Substance Use & Misuse said that about one-third of adolescent drinkers experienced their first intoxication by the age of 15, about one-third experienced it after 15, and about one-third had consumed alcohol but never to the stage of intoxication.
Additionally, the drinkers reported drinking most frequently at homes, followed by outdoor settings, and then in restaurants, bars or nightclubs.
A strong link was found between early age of first intoxication and drinking in outdoor settings
The results of the study emphasise the importance of contexts in early alcohol initiation and the resulting problems to inform the development of preventive interventions specific to contexts, said Lipperman-Kreda, a researcher from the varsity.
To prevent or delay early onset of drinking more should be known about the modifiable circumstances that enable these behaviours, the study suggested.
