The age of onset for alcohol consumption among adolescents: Implications and related variables

Adolescence is a critical period in the development of addictive behaviors. In particular, the age at which adolescents start drinking is not a trivial matter, given the important consequences that it has. However, relatively little is known about what it is that causes them to start drinking at an ever earlier age. The aim of this paper is to collect new empirical data about the implications of an early age of onset and, at the same time, to identify possible associated variables. Furthermore, the mean age of onset of the different substances is updated by expanding the sample frame of the ESTUDES (14-18 years) to incorporate adolescents aged 12 and 13. The results obtained with a sample of 3,419 adolescents from the Autonomous Community of Galicia (M = 14.57 and SD = 1.76) reveal that at 13.4 years of age, the age at which adolescents tend to start drinking is lower than suggested by ESTUDES 2016-2017. In addition, those who start drinking earlier are more likely to use other substances, their rates of high-risk consumption are 3 times higher and they are more involved in potentially dangerous practices. Finally, variables such as risk perception and expectations of use yield very limited explanatory capacity, especially if they are compared with those related to drinking within the family or peer group. The results reinforce the need to delay the age of alcohol onset as one of the strategic objectives of prevention policies.