The term ‘adolescent’ is an adjective describing a young
person in the process of developing from a child into an adult
and dates from the late 18th century (Oxford English
Dictionary). It is derived from the Latin verb ‘adolescere’
which means ‘to grow up’. This short paper will review patterns
of drinking in adolescence and the risk factors that are
thought to predispose to the development of alcohol use and
other co-morbid disorders in this age group