This slide illustrates how exceeding
recommended daily and/or weekly alcohol limits affects risk for
alcohol abuse and dependence among adults in the U.S.
The abuse potential is magnified for those who begin drinking
at young ages. Individuals
who begin drinking in their early teens have a much greater risk of
becoming alcohol dependent at some point in their lives, and also
are at greater risk of developing dependence more quickly and at
younger ages, than people who start drinking at age 21 (Hingson et
al. (2006), Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med., 160(7): 739-746).
