Rural Adolescent Alcohol Use: An Overview *

Summary Use and abuse of alcohol by rural adolescents is an important problem for those who care for youth and for the future of rural communities. Alcohol use is common and associated with many of the risk factors identified in previous urban‐sampled research. However, there is considerable rural heterogenety, and the specific characteristics of rural families and communities that may predispose certain adolescents to earlier use or problem drinking are not well understood. Identification of these factors are not only critical for the treatment of affected adolescents and their families, but also for the prevention of adolescent problem drinking. While a number of authors have attempted to describe rural adolescent drinking and associated factors, these studies have been limited by sampling only school populations, small samples, use of unstandardized instruments and no long‐term follow‐up. In the same vein, no investigators have described the impact of population density, farm residence, predominant local industry, or sociocultural characteristics of rural families and communities on adolescent alcohol use and other health compromising behaviors. Thus, prospective longitudinal studies are sorely needed. Even more important, no research exists that explores the effectiveness of treatment or prevention services for rural adolescents. Communities and providers are forced to rely on models developed in urban settings that do not take into account the lack of access to other services, the shortage of trained specialists, and the limited economic resources of rural communities. A focused effort by investigators, research agencies, and local communities will be necessary for these barriers to be overcome.