Datu,from 27,616 c'urrml andfortner drinkers intentiewed in the 1992 Narionul Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey were used to exuminr the relationship between age af,first LLSP of ulwhol and the preL~ulettce of lifetime alcohol abuse and alcohol depmdence, utnon,g all U.S. adults 18 years of age and oLter and within .sahgroup.s dejined I?! ses and race. The rates of ltfetime dependence declined from tnore than 40% among ittdi\iduul.s K+O started drinking af ages 14 or younger to roughly 10% atnong those wjho started drinking ut ages 20 and older. The rures of lifetime abase declined frotn jusf over I 17~ among those who ittiriured use of ulc~~hol uf ages 16 or younger to upproxitnately 4% utnottg those whose onsef of use wu.s at uges 20 or older. After using mulfivariute logistic regression models to adjust for potenriul cottfbander.s, rhe odds of dependence decreased by 14% with each increasing year of age at onset of use, and the odds of abuse decreased by 87~. These findings are discuxsed \tith respect to their implications ,for pre~~ettrion policies und the need to ittrr,grure epidemiologicul and itttenvntion re.search.
Although early onset of alcohol use has been closely associated with numerous adverse short-term and long-term consequences, very little is known about the relationship between early onset and the subsequent development of alcohol abuse and dependence. Early onset