SAMHSA’s 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Current alcohol use among youth
The level of alcohol use dropped among those aged 12 to 17, from 17.6 percent in 2002 to 15.9 percent in 2007.
Among underage persons, rates of current alcohol use increased with increasing age. In 2007, 3.5 percent of persons aged 12 or 13, 14.7 percent of persons aged 14 or 15, 29.0 percent of 16- or 17-year-olds, and 50.7 percent-of 18- to 20-year-olds drank alcohol during the 30 days before they were surveyed. This pattern has remained stable since 2002.
The level of underage drinking by persons aged 12 to 20 has remained unchanged since 2002, at 27.9 percent.
More males than females aged 12 to 20 reported binge drinking (21.1 percent compared with 16.1 percent) and heavy drinking (7.8 percent compared with 4.2 percent) in 2007. However, rates of current alcohol use were similar by gender (28.4 percent for males and 27.3 percent for females).
In 2007, among persons aged 12 to 20, binge drinking was reported by 22.4 percent of white, 16.7 percent of Hispanic or Latino, and 16.4 percent of persons reporting two or more races but only by 9.6 percent of Asian and 8.4 percent of black or African American population groups.
In 2007, 80.9 percent of current drinkers aged 12 to 20 were with two or more other persons the last time they drank alcohol, 14.1 percent were with one other person the last time they drank, and 4.9 percent were alone.
A majority of underage current drinkers in 2007 reported that their last use of alcohol in the past month occurred either in someone else's home (56.3 percent) or their own home (29.4 percent). Underage males were more likely than females to have been in their own home on their last drinking occasion (31.3 percent compared with 27.3 percent), whereas females were more likely than males to have been in a restaurant, bar, or club on their last drinking occasion (12.8 percent compared with 6.1 percent).
Access to Alcohol
Among underage current drinkers in 2007, 30.2 percent paid for the alcohol the last time they drank, including 8.2 percent who purchased the alcohol themselves and 21.8 percent who gave money to someone else to purchase it.
Among underage drinkers who did not pay for the alcohol the last time they drank, the most common source was an unrelated person aged 21 or older (37.2 percent). Other underage persons provided the alcohol on the last occasion 20.7 percent of the time. Parents, guardians, or other adult family members provided the alcohol 19.5 percent of the time. Other sources of alcohol for underage drinkers included (a) took the alcohol from home (5.5 percent), (b) took it from someone else's home (3.4 percent), and (c) got it some other way (8.5 percent).
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Driving under the influence of alcohol was associated with age in 2007. An estimated 7.8 percent of 16-or 17-year-olds, 18.3 percent of 18- to 20-year-olds, and 25.8 percent of 21- to 25-year-olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Beyond age 25, these rates showed a general decline with increasing age.
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking
Underage drinking — age at first use
Youth who report drinking before the age of 15 are more likely than those who
begin drinking later in life to have other substance abuse problems during
adolescence; to engage in risky sexual behavior; and to be involved in car crashes,
unintentional injuries, and physical fights after drinking, both during adolescence
and in adulthood.
Approximately 10 percent of 9- to 10-year-olds have started drinking. Nearly
one-third of youth begin drinking before age 13.
By age 15, approximately 50 percent of boys and girls have had a whole drink of
alcohol; by age 21, approximately 90 percent have done so.
Alcohol is the drug of choice among America’s adolescents, used by more young people than tobacco or illicit drugs.
Adolescents generally obtain alcohol from adults who sell it to them, purchase it on their behalf, or allow them to attend or give parties where alcohol is served.
Underage drinking and adolescent development
Underage drinking can cause alterations in the structure and function of the developing brain. New research indicates that the developing adolescent brain may be particularly susceptible to long-term consequences from alcohol use.
Some studies find that adolescents who drink heavily may experience adverse effects that disrupt normal growth and affect liver, bone, and endocrine development.
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