A recent study from a prospective UK birth cohort reported
on alcohol use at 10, 13 and 15 years and found that by the
age of 15 over half of the boys and girls had consumed
alcohol and one-fifth reported drinking in a binge fashion
(MacArthur et al., 2012). There were no gender differences in
drinking behaviour. Higher alcohol consumption at 15 was
associated with a significantly higher prevalence of engagement
in other risk behaviours at 16 years, in particular substance
use and sexual risk behaviours. Those who met criteria
for hazardous drinking at 16 were six times more likely to
engage in substance use behaviours than those who did not
meet these criteria.