A new study has reinforced the importance of implicit attitudes toward alcohol in escalating risk for heavy drinking as a young person transitions from adolescence to adulthood. Alcohol use peaks in emerging adulthood, with many associated health risks and negative consequences, so understanding risk and protective pathways to heavy drinking in this age group is a critical public health issue. In contrast to conscious information processing, implicit information processing occurs spontaneously, without deliberation or awareness. Although implicit alcohol attitudes are considered important in prompting alcohol use and maintaining heavy drinking, previous studies have provided mixed support for the association between positive (i.e. favorable) implicit alcohol attitudes and greater drinking. This may be partly attributable to difficulties in measuring implicit attitudes. A further complication is that associations between implicit alcohol attitudes and heavy drinking may be reciprocal: n
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