How much are today's youth drinking? Well, we found out all about teen alcohol use. An excellent source of alcohol use data is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Some of the most recent survey results are listed below.
59.8 |
| Talking to your kids about drinking, alcohol, smoking, and other drugs can help keep them away from risky behavior. |
The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who reported talking at least once in the past year with their parents about the dangers of drug, tobacco, or alcohol use. Youths who reported having such conversations had lower rates of current drug, tobacco, or alcohol use than those who did not talk with their parents about substance abuse! |
28.2 |
The percentage of 12- to 20-year-olds who reported drinking alcohol in the past month. 18.8 percent of underage drinkers were binge drinkers and 6 percent were heavy drinkers. To compare, if you just look at the number of high school kids who drank in the last month, the percentage increases to 43.3!1 |
9.9 |
The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who have had five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least 1 day in the past 30 days. This is called "binge drinking." To compare, if you just look at the number of high school kids who binge drank in the last month, the percentage increases to 25.5!2 |
5.8 |
The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who needed treatment for an alcohol use problem. |
2.4 |
The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who have had five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of 5 or more days in the past 30 days. This is called "heavy drinking." Of these kids, 60 percent also reported using illicit drugs. |
Want more teen drinking statistics? Another survey for high school students, the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), is conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Below are just a few of the survey's findings:
74.3 |
The percentage of high school students nationwide who have had one or more drinks of alcohol during their lifetime. |
28.5 |
The percentage of high school students nationwide who rode in a car driven by someone who had been drinking one or more times during the 30 days preceding the survey. |
25.6 |
The percentage of high school students who drank alcohol (more than a few sips) for the first time before the age of 13. High school students are starting to drink earlier and earlier. The frequency of having had their first drink before 13 is:
- 19.3 percent for 12th graders
- 20.5 percent for 11th graders
- 26.2 percent for 10th graders
- 33.9 percent for 9th graders
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23.3 |
The percentage of sexually active high school students nationwide who drank alcohol or used drugs before last sexual intercourse. |
9.9 |
The percentage of high school students nationwide who reported driving a car or other vehicle after drinking alcohol one or more times during the 30 days preceding the survey. |
The percentages for some teenage drinking behaviors are down from the 2001 YRBSS study. Lifetime drinking is down to 74.3 from 78.2 in 2001. Binge drinking for 12- to 17-year-olds also dropped from 29.9 in 2001 to 25.5. Kids are much more likely to choose not to drink when they have a strong and supportive relationship with a parent or guardian. Even if it's an uncomfortable conversation the first time, future conversations get easier. Make sure your child clearly understands your family's rules about drinking. For some examples, suggestions, and help, watch these videos.
If you would like to learn more about YRBSS and NSDUH, including the uses and limitations of the data, please visit the Web sites listed on the following page:
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