Published online April 1, 2008
PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 Supplement April 2008, pp. S290-S310 (doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2243D)

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SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE

A Developmental Perspective on Alcohol and Youths 16 to 20 Years of Age

Sandra A. Brown, PhD^a, Matthew McGue, PhD^b, Jennifer Maggs, PhD^c, John Schulenberg, PhD^d, Ralph Hingson, ScD^e,f, Scott Swartzwelder, PhD^g, Christopher Martin, PhD^h, Tammy Chung, PhD^h, Susan F. Tapert, PhD^f, Kenneth Sher, PhDⁱ, Ken C. Winters, PhD^j, Cherry Lowman, PhD^e and Stacia Murphy, PhD^k

^a Departments of Psychology
^f Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California
^b Departments of Psychology
^j Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
^c Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
^d Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
^e National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland
^g Department of Psychology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
^h Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
ⁱ Department of Psychological Studies, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
^k National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, St Louis, Missouri

Late adolescence (ie, 16–20 years of age) is a period characterized by escalation of drinking and alcohol use problems for many and by the onset of an alcohol use disorder for some. This heightened period of vulnerability is a joint consequence of the continuity of risk from earlier developmental stages and the unique neurologic, cognitive, and social changes that occur in late adolescence. We review the normative neurologic, cognitive, and social changes that typically occur in late adolescence, and we discuss the evidence for the impact of these transitions on individual drinking trajectories. We also describe evidence linking alcohol abuse in late adolescence with neurologic damage and social impairments, and we discuss whether these are the bases for the association of adolescent drinking with increased risks of mental health, substance abuse, and social problems in adulthood. Finally, we discuss both the challenges and successes in the treatment and prevention of adolescent drinking problems.

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Key Words: alcohol • late adolescence • development

Abbreviations: AUD—alcohol use disorder • DWI—driving while intoxicated

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Accepted Nov 27, 2007.

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