Getting a big allowance may be a risk factor for heavy drinking among teens, a British study suggests.

Reuters reported May 28 that a study of more than 10,000 15- and 16-year-olds concluded that those who received the most money from their parents were more likely to binge drink, buy alcohol, and drink in public. Those who bought their own alcohol were three times more likely than their peers to drink frequently and twice as likely to be regular binge drinkers.

The study hinted that some risky drinking may simply be the result of youths having money to spend on alcohol. The findings indicate that parents should keep better tabs on how kids spend their money and that government needs to do a better job of preventing alcohol sales to minors, said lead study author Mark A. Bellis of Liverpool John Moores University.

The study was published in the May 10, 2007 issue of the journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy.