A simple two-question screening check can help identify young people at higher risk of developing a future alcohol use disorder, researchers say.

The two questions from the US National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) have already been shown to identify teens at risk of alcohol problems.

However, the current study extends these findings by showing the screen may be useful in identifying teens at risk for developing alcohol use problems one, two and three years down the road, according to lead author Dr James Linakis of Brown University, Rhode Island.

In the study, Dr Linakis and colleagues enrolled more than 4800 patients aged 12-17 who presented at 16 EDs for a non-life-threatening injury, illness or mental health condition, including 2209 assigned to follow-up.