Underage Drinking Remains a Serious Problem

Although there’s been some progress in reducing underage drinking among young people age 17 and younger, a new report issued last month by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that the rates are still unacceptably high.


The study, which used combined data from SAMHSA’s 2008-2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), reported that 26.2 percent of 12-20 year olds surveyed admitted drinking in the month before the survey, and 8.7 percent said they purchased their own alcohol last time they drank.


“Underage drinking should not be a normal part of growing up. It’s serious and persistent public health problem that puts our young people and our communities in danger,” said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde. “Even though drinking is often glamorized, the truth is that underage drinking can lead to poor academic performance, sexual assault, injury, and even death.”

All 50 states and the District of Columbia currently have laws prohibiting the purchase and use of alcoholic beverages by anyone under age 21.

The NSDUH Report provides a very interesting state-by-state breakdown of drinking among 12-20 year olds. The highest rate of underage drinking in the past month was in Vermont (37.0 percent), and lowest in Utah (14.3 percent).

Vermont was also one of six states in the northeast among the top ten states with the highest rates of past month underage alcohol use, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island. New York also had one of the highest rates (15.0 percent) of past month underage self-purchase of alcohol.

States with the lowest incidence of underage youth illegally purchasing their own alcohol included New Mexico (2.5 percent), Idaho (2.6 percent), and Oregon (2.6 percent).

Southern states had some of the lowest rates of underage drinking (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia) and some of the highest rates of underage youth illegally purchasing their own alcohol (Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and North Carolina).

This report shows how important it is that prevention of underage drinking and substance abuse remain in the forefront of our top strategic initiatives! To read the full survey and report, visit the SAMHSA website at: http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k12/NSDUH111/SR111StateEstUnderageAlc2012.htm