A new research published in the journal Nature involves a test which is able to determine which 14-year-olds will become binge drinkers by the time they turn 16.

In this study scientists have developed a system that weighs up a range of risk factors and predicts as to which of the teens will become heavy drinkers. The accuracy rate of this test is around 70%.

In the start of the research around 700 teens that were then 14 years old were assessed comprehensively for 10 hours, in the years that followed they were observed till the time they all turned 19. Multiple data sets such as neuroimaging, family history and life events were analyzed for each of them.

Researchers concluded that there were various contributors to risk of alcohol abuse and the best predictors for binge drinking included variables like personality, sensation-seeking traits, lack of conscientiousness and a family history of drug use. In addition, teens who had experienced several stressful life events were also among those at greater risk of taking up drinking.

In all, combination of 40 factors were taken up that included brain structure, personality and major life events. For the brain structure part, it was found out that kids who had more immature brains were more likely to drink.

An international group of scientists will now conduct such a study on a larger base to find a way of predicting as to what leads teenagers to go on to binge-drinking.