If alcohol-induced neurotoxicity has occurred a period of abstinence for on average a year is required for the cognitive deficits of alcohol abuse to reverse.College/university students who are heavy binge drinkers (three or more times in the past two weeks) are 19 times more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol dependence, and 13 times more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol abuse compared to non-heavy episodic drinkers, though the direction of causality remains unclear. Occasional binge drinkers (one or two times in the past two weeks), were found to be four times more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol abuse or dependence compared to non-heavy episodic drinkers. Epidemiology
Alcohol abuse is said to be most common in people aged between 15 and 24 years, according to Moreira 2009. However, this particular study of 7275 college students in England collected no comparative data from other age groups or countries. Causes of alcohol abuse are complex and are likely the combination of many factors, from coping with stress to childhood development. The US Department of Health & Human Services identifies several factors influencing adolescent alcohol use, such as risk-taking, expectancies, sensitivity and tolerance, personality and psychiatric comorbidity, hereditary factors, and environmental aspects.Studies show that child maltreatment such as neglect, physical, and/or sexual abuse, as well as having parents with alcohol abuse problems, increases the likelihood of that child developing alcohol use disorders later in life.
See also
0-0-1-3 – a United States Air Force program for alcohol abuse prevention
Drunken monkey hypothesis

References
Further reading
Christopher M. Finan (2017). Drunks: An American History. Beacon Press. ISBN 978-0807001790. External links

dassa.sa.gov.au
Rethinking Drinking, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Alcohol and Crime: Data from 2002 to 2008 Bureau of Justice Statistics
Healthy Youth! Alcohol & Drug Abuse – U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)