Youngsters who are more peer-oriented have a higher probability of drinking more alcohol than
youngsters who are more family-oriented. We also found that drinking with the family acted as a
protective mechanism for problematic alcohol behaviour, while drinking with friends has a large
impact on last month alcohol use. If adolescents spend more time with a larger group of friends they
are more likely to show excessive alcohol use. There is also a strong relation between having friends
who are delinquent, or being a member of a group who commit illegal acts (gang membership), and
the use of alcohol