The percentage of people who begin drinking before age 14 and later develop alcohol dependency varies somewhat by study, but the data consistently show a significantly elevated risk compared to those who start drinking later.
- One comprehensive study found that over 40% of individuals who began drinking before age 14 developed alcohol dependence at some point in their lives, which is about four times the rate (10%) observed for those who started drinking at age 20 or older
- Another large survey reported that 47% of individuals who began drinking before age 14 experienced alcohol dependence at some point, compared to 9% of those who started drinking at age 21 or older
- Additional research indicates that those who began drinking at ages 11–14 had about a 9% to 16% rate of developing alcohol dependence within 10 years after their first drink, much higher than the 1% rate for those who started drinking at age 19 or older
- A separate study noted a 40% chance of alcohol dependence for those who started drinking before age 14, versus a 10% chance for those who waited until age 20 or older
In summary, roughly 40–47% of people who start drinking before age 14 develop alcohol dependence at some point in their lives, a risk that is about four to five times higher than those who begin drinking at age 20 or later
. This underscores the strong link between early alcohol use and later alcohol dependency.
