SYDNEY, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Teens who start drinking as early as age 12 face much higher risks of alcohol-related harms in early adulthood, a new long-term Australian study finds.

The research, led by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center (NDARC) at the University of New South Wales, followed more than 900 Australian adolescents annually for 10 years on patterns of alcohol use, according to an NDARC statement released Tuesday.

The earlier teenagers begin drinking before the minimum legal age for purchasing alcohol, which is 18, the higher the risk of heavy drinking and alcohol-related harms in early adulthood, it said.

The study showed that teenagers who began drinking at 12 were more likely to engage in heavy episodic drinking and alcohol abuse than those who started drinking at age 18.

These early initiators were 24 percent more likely to report monthly heavy episodic drinking by age 20, like consuming at least four standard drinks on an occasion, and 73 percent more likely to experience alcohol-related harms than those who started at age 18, it said.

They also had increased risks of alcohol dependence, abuse, and alcohol use disorder, according to the study published in the journal Addiction.

"Our findings support the current guidelines recommending teenagers avoid alcohol until adulthood and reinforce the need for public health intervention targeting both children and parents," said NDARC Deputy Director Amy Peacock, the study's senior author.

Contrary to the assumption that occasional sips or tastes under parental supervision are harmless, the study found elevated risks of alcohol-related harms regardless of the amount consumed. ■