Teens: Who's Using Alcohol

by SAMHSA

Have you ever wondered how much drinking today's youth actually are doing? Well, a nationally representative sample of 13,627 public and private high school students from all 50 States and the District of Columbia has provided us with some answers. These students completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBSS), which included questions related to alcohol consumption. Below are just a few of the survey's findings:

78.2

The percentage of students nationwide who have had one or more drinks of alcohol during their lifetime.

47.1

The percentage of students nationwide who reported drinking one or more drinks of alcohol on 1 or more of the 30 days before the survey.

29.9

The percentage of students nationwide who reported drinking five or more drinks of alcohol on one or more occasions during the 30 days before the survey. This is called "episodic heavy drinking." Among white and black students and 11th- and 12th-grade students, males are more likely than females to report this behavior.

Students in grades 11 and 12 were more likely than younger students to report all three of the above behaviors. Likewise, white and Hispanic students were more likely than black students to report the same behaviors.

Another excellent source of alcohol use data is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). Some 2001 survey results are listed below.

33.9

The percentage of 12- to 17-year-olds who have had a drink in the past year. A little over 17 percent have had a drink in the past month.

10.6

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."

2.5

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."

If you would like to learn more about YRBSS and NHSDA, including the uses and limitations of the data, please visit the Web sites listed below.

About the Author

www.samhsa.gov
SAMHSA works to improve the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, alcohol and drug addiction treatment, and mental health services. Includes links to support groups, information resources, events and articles.