Why Might Adverse Childhood Experiences Lead to Underage Drinking Among US Youth? Findings From an Emergency Department-Based Qualitative Pilot Study

Research suggests that adverse childhood experiences (e.g., child abuse, interparental violence) predispose youth to early drinking initiation, but specifics about how and why adolescents progress from these exposures to alcohol use are not well understood. This National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism supported study presents data from semistructured interviews with 22 adolescents who reported both initiating drinking ≤18 years old...