While previous studies have examined the factors involved in the development of adolescent alcohol use, none have examined the social context of the adolescent’s first use of alcohol. Survey questionnaire data were gathered from 626 youths and siblings from a metropolitan city in the Pacific Northwest. The surveys focused on the social context of alcohol initiation, gender, age, and ethnic differences among African-Americans and Whites. The results reveal that families and peers are influential in initiating alcohol use among adolescents. Sixty-one percent of the respondents reported they were with their parents at the time of first alcohol use, while approximately 50 percent reported they were at home. Another 39 percent first tried alcohol when they were with friends and 35 percent tried alcohol at a party. Significant differences were found between groups in terms of the social context of alcohol initiation; the most notable differences were found between White and African-American adolescents. The results have important implications for prevention campaigns and illustrate the importance of tailoring prevention messages to target specific audiences. Tables, references