Factors that influence teenagers' drinking

A teenager's decision to drink alcohol can be influenced by:

• early introduction to alcohol
• exposure to adult binge drinking or alcoholism
• access to alcohol from parents and others
• friends who drink heavily
• New Zealand’s drinking culture
• access to cheap alcohol
• alcohol marketing
• truancy
• poor educational achievement and school relationships
• money to spend
• conflict or bullying
• long periods of unsupervised time.