Familial drinking history as a predictor of alcohol and drug consumption among adolescent children.

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Abstract
Data concerning adolescent alcohol and drug using behaviors, as well as the drinking patterns of their parents, were obtianed from a simple of 1,380 New Jersey [USA] youth born between 1961 and 1969. Initially tested between 1979 and 1981 at ages 12, 15 or 18, these subjects were retested between 1982 and 1984 (retest rate = 95%). We which to describe the early differences in patterns of alcohol and drug use between offspring of families exhibiting a positive history of alcoholism (FH + ) and those without such backgrounds (FH-). FH+ subjects are compared to three other groups from varying parental background (heavy drinking nonalcoholic parents, high stress families and symptom-free families) as regarding problem use. Several indicators of problem use (e.g., early onset of intoxication, frequent intoxication, escape drinking) were not found to be more prevalent among FH+ than FH-adolescents. Analyses indicate, however, that FH+ adolescents are more likely than FH- adolescents from symptom-free faimilies to report experiencing problems/consequences related to both drinking and drug taking.

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