How much alcohol a person drinks is strongly linked to how much their peers drink–and not just among teens and young adults. A new study of mature adults, published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research, has found that adults’ social connections influence a person’s drinking, both contemporaneously and over time. And, an individual’s social network is more influential in changing their drinking behavior over time than other factors, such as their occupation or smoking. The study highlights the importance of understanding social connections in order to design interventions for mature adults who drink heavily.
