First Sips, Lasting Impact: Alcohol and Teen Girls

Part 1 of the ‘Women & Alcohol: A Life in Balance’ series

When I think back to my teenage years, alcohol felt like this mysterious grown-up thing — something exciting but also a little scary. For a lot of girls, those first sips aren’t just about taste; they’re about fitting in, trying new things and figuring out who they are. That was certainly the case for me. But here’s the thing: those early experiences with alcohol can stick with you in ways you might not expect. Think about the first time you tried alcohol. I bet it went something like this:

1. Your parents allowed you a small glass of something at a celebratory event – Christmas or a wedding. You felt special, mature, trusted. You looked at the ‘kids’ at the event with disdain – you’d made your first foray into the adult world, and it felt good, even if the taste of the alcohol itself was revolting.

2. You and your mates managed to get hold of cider or vodka or something ridiculously sweet and fruity from an acquaintance’s older sister and you planned your drinking event together – a house party, or in the park after school. You dressed up (or down, depending on the era – I hit my teen years in the 70s, so it was mostly torn black jeans with safety pins and optional beret), you spent endless hours talking about how the night would go. Then, on the big day you drank too much, vomited in the hall when you got home and were grounded for a month.

Some iteration of these scenarios is how most of us start our relationship with alcohol. I remember my best mate getting very drunk at a party and her boyfriend and I walking her home, hoping not to get grilled by her parents. We were about fifteen and drinking cider and whisky - it was 1980. I’m so glad that I got my party days out of the way before the internet and mobile phones were around to record my crazy, risky behaviour for posterity.

Either way, the event is often marked out as being a rite of passage, shared with people we love and trust, and it sets the scene for how we proceed. Even though I bet you hated that first sip, you loved the feeling and the sense of having entered a magical grown-up world. Alcohol acts on the reward and pleasure centres of our brains so it’s no wonder that we, as young girls, are drawn to its sparkly promise.

Teenage years are a whirlwind — your brain is still figuring itself out, your hormones are all over the place and the pressure to fit in is intense. But alcohol doesn’t just impact your mood in the moment; it can affect how your brain develops, especially the parts that help you make decisions and control impulses.

On top of that, girls tend to feel alcohol’s effects more strongly because of body chemistry and hormones. Females have more body fat and less water than males, making our blood alcohol spike at a higher concentration, so that ‘one drink’ might hit harder than you think. When you’re just starting to learn your boundaries, alcohol makes you vulnerable to all manner of unsavoury situations. Fact. To be clear, though, anyone who takes advantage of that is totally and always in the wrong.

Let’s be honest: the risks don’t stop after secondary school. With social media showing highlight reels of parties and nights out, it’s easy to think that everyone else is having a blast — with a drink in hand. The problem? Social media rarely shows the messier side: the regret, the poor choices, the anxiety the morning after.

Starting to drink young can increase the chances of problems down the line — not just with alcohol, but with mental health and risky behaviour. Research shows that young women who start drinking early are more likely to develop dependence problems later. There’s also something called the telescoping effect, meaning that, although young women generally start drinking at an older age than young men, they progress to alcohol problems more quickly and with greater severity.

And it’s not just about the future — alcohol can make teen years harder in the here and now. For those with adverse childhood experiences or disadvantaged backgrounds the risks of alcohol problems are even greater because alcohol seems like a panacea, a new friend that puts the bad stuff on hold for a while.

What’s the best way to help? Open conversations, honest facts and no judgment. Parents, teachers, and communities play a huge role — but teens themselves also need to feel empowered to make their own choices. We, as women, have so many expectations placed on us from a young age – our bodies, brains, emotions and choices are all scrutinised and drinking is a way to bond and belong, so saying no can feel like swimming against the current. But it’s a brave and important choice.

It’s about balance: understanding the risks without shutting down the curiosity and the very human desire to feel part of something. The good news is that fewer young people drink now than ever before with around 20% of under 25s claiming sobriety and Europewide Gen Z is drinking less than previous generations. However, those who do drink are often drinking to excess and may not be aware of the impact of their drinking down the line.

Looking back, I wish someone had told me it was okay to ask questions — about alcohol, about my feelings and about what I really wanted. Because those first sips don’t have to define your relationship with alcohol for the rest of your life.

What’s Next

Cheers! Alcohol and Young Women in Their 20s — diving into the fun, pressure and pitfalls of drinking in early adulthood.