Prospective Assessment of Adolescent Drinking Trajectories With Computer-Assisted Self-administration of Ethanol (CASE)

Inclusion Criteria: * (a) male and female Caucasian volunteers aged 18 years/0 months to 19 years/11 months; * (b) written informed consent by the subject; * (c) habitual social drinking during the two months preceding participation, defined by at least one drinking day in any two weeks-interval; * (d) at least one prior experience of alcohol intoxication * (e) being able to abstain from tobacco use for four hours without developing nicotine withdrawal symptoms; * (f) effective contraception in female participants; * (g) consenting to abstain from any illegal substance use for 2 weeks prior to participation; * (h) living within 15 km (9.5 miles) from downtown Dresden; * (i) sufficient information concerning alcohol use in both parents and in at least four second-degree relatives Exclusion Criteria: * (a) prior medical treatment due to alcohol use; * (b) current or prior history of any serious disease, including CNS, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal, endocrine, alcohol or drug dependence, but not alcohol abuse; * (c) current history of Axis-I psychiatric illness, including premenstrual dysphoric disorder; * (d) current or prior history of alcohol-induced flushing reactions; * (e) positive urine screen for cannabinoids, cocaine, amphetamines, opiates, or benzodiazepines; * (f) light or non-drinkers: averaging less than 2 standard drinks per week in the preceding two months; * (g) intention to become pregnant * (h) pregnancy or positive urine pregnancy screening or breast-feeding; * (i) any alcohol intake on the test day or the day before; * (k) use of medications known to interact with alcohol within 2 weeks of the study; * (l) positive hepatitis or HIV at screening, provided the subject consented to these tests