Adolescents are more likely to drink if their friends do, and their peers may influence their drinking habits even more than their parents do, according to a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Danielle Dick and her colleagues studied data from 4700 teenagers in Finland, looking for associations between teen friendships and alcohol use. The researchers found that girls' drinking in particular is linked to the influence of peers. Having friends of the opposite sex correlated with increased drinking for both sexes.

Parents should be aware of their children's friends, Dr. Dick advised. "This awareness is particularly important for girls, and when the friendship group consists of members of the opposite sex."

This study appears in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Labels: alcohol, friends, influences