How to spot the signs your teen is at risk of alcoholism

The age you start drinking could dictate your drinking habits in adulthood, according to scientists.

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania found people who drink alone between the ages of 18 and the mid-20s increase the risk for alcoholism in their 30s.

The study, published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, also found the risk was especially high for women.

“Most young people who drink do it with others in social settings, but a substantial minority of young people are drinking alone,” lead author Kasey Creswell, associate professor of psychology at CMU, explained.

“Solitary drinking is a unique and robust risk factor for future alcohol use disorder.”

“Even after we account for well-known risk factors, like binge drinking, frequency of alcohol use, socioeconomic status and gender, we see a strong signal that drinking alone as a young person predicts alcohol problems in adulthood.”

They studied around 4,500 18-year-olds, surveying them about their alcohol use and how often they were consuming alcohol alone, documenting them for the following 17 years.

They asked them again about their alcohol habits at 22 to 23 years and again when they were 35.

The study found around 25% of teenagers and 40% of young adults who drink did it alone. They found the odds of having symptoms of alcoholism at 35 were 35% higher for teenagers who had drunk alone, compared to those who only drank socially.

This figure rose to 60% for young adults who drank alone.

Researchers say the study is essential to identify and respond to early risk factors for alcohol misuse in order to reduce the prevalence and severity of alcohol abuse in adults.