About 10 percent of people who wait to start drinking until after age 21 develop alcohol dependence at some point later in life. Studies show that individuals who begin drinking at age 21 or older have a lifetime alcohol dependence rate of approximately 9-10%, which is significantly lower compared to those who start drinking earlier in adolescence
. For example, more than 40 percent of those who began drinking before age 15 develop alcohol dependence, highlighting the increased risk associated with early drinking onset
. The risk of developing alcohol dependence decreases by about 14 percent with each additional year of delayed drinking onset beyond adolescence
