Editorial: Durability of Alcohol Use Prevention Effects in Adolescents and Transitional Age Youth.

Nearly 30%, or close to 2 billion, of the world's population are youth 10 to 24 years of age. This number is projected to peak in the next decade.1 Greater focus on behaviors that are largely initiated and escalate during adolescence, and manifest ensuing morbidity and mortality in adulthood, can reduce long-term public health burden. This is especially true for alcohol use, which is the most commonly abused substance among adolescents,2 and 1 of the leading causes of morbidity globally,3 with more than 4,000 alcohol-attributable deaths per year in the United States specifically.4 Indeed, in the United States, alcohol use among adolescents is high, with over 60% of 12th graders reporting lifetime use, nearly 35% reporting use in the past month, and nearly 20% reporting binge drinking in the past 2 weeks.2 Furthermore, approximately 5% of 12- to 17-year-olds meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder.5 Despite high rates of alcohol use among adolescents and poor psychosocial, neurocognitive, and health outcomes related to use, 6 it is estimated that only about 10% of adolescents needing substance use treatment access treatment,5 with 75% of those accessing treatment experiencing a relapse.7 Although a number of prevention and treatment interventions have demonstrated efficacy in the short term, there are few data on programs and program characteristics that result in durable treatment effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]