DRINKING AND DRINKING PROBLEMS - A CROSS-NATIONAL COMPARISON OF IRISHAND AMERICAN ADOLESCENTS

Drinking and drinking problems were compared for American high school students (n = 1,928) and Irish postprimary students (n = 1,702). Irish students began drinking at an older age than American students, but r eported higher prevalence rates for lifetime drinking, drank more freq uently, and reported more frequent intoxication. Overall, the Irish st udents were more likely to report alcohol problems. American youth, ho wever, reported higher rates on some specific alcohol problems (e.g., drinking and driving), Irish youth reported higher rates on other spec ific problems (e.g., getting into trouble with parents), and the sampl es did not differ on still other problems (e.g., getting sick from dri nking). American boys and girls were more similar in their drinking pa tterns than were Irish boys and girls. Irish boys were consistently at greater risk for drinking and drinking problems than were other young people in the sample.