"We found that early age of first drink (AFD) is associated not simply with alcoholism, but with a wide range of behavioral outcomes that are indicative of a reluctance or inability to control one's behavior," said University of Minnesota psychology professor Matt McGue, who is first author of the study.

Past research has pointed to early-onset drinking primarily as a risk factor for developing alcoholism.

McGue and colleagues also determined that early AFD runs in families and is passed down through male family members. In addition to alcoholism, other behaviors linked to early AFD were drug abuse, delinquency, antisocial behavior in adulthood, and a decline in educational achievement.

"Alcohol researchers had hoped that by delaying the age at which an adolescent first tried alcohol one could lower the rate of alcoholism," said McGue. "But early AFD is associated with a broader range of behavioral problems, some of which precede drinking. It suggests early AFD is a symptom of something more basic."

In another study, McGue and researchers determined that children with at least one parent who had an early AFD were more likely to be early drinkers as well.

The research is published in two papers in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

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