The authors explain that previous research has indicated that drinking behavior is closely tied to age, with drinking peaking during the early adult years and then tapering off. The authors were interested in discovering variables that would predict the trajectory of drinking over the life course in order to inform policies geared toward reducing problem drinking behavior. As such, the authors measured changes in the frequency of alcohol consumption between the ages of 18 and 26. They also measured the amount consumed during each drinking occasion. Longitudinal interview data were collected from participants in a central location. Data included parental consumption of alcohol, educational attainment, age of drinking onset, and ease of access to alcohol. Findings revealed different trajectories in drinking behavior for this cohort. How much the participants consumed during any one drinking episode peaked at age 21 and then tapered off whereas the frequency of alcohol consumption increased over the years. Several variables affected drinking patterns for this cohort, including parental drinking patterns, easy access to alcohol, and living arrangements. The most significant variables that affected drinking behavior were educational attainment and access to licensed drinking premises at age 18. The authors concluded that policymakers can be influential in curbing the drinking patterns of young adults by affecting the variables that most contribute to alcohol consumption, such as access to drinking establishments at the age of 18. Tables, figures, references