Among 12-20 year olds, approximately 7.2 million (19%) reported having engaged in binge drinking and 2.4 million (6%) in heavy drinking. Among 12-20 year olds, the rates of binge drinking reported in the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health are similar to estimates reported since 2002.

The rate of binge drinking among 12-20 year olds remained unchanged at the national level, however, three states had significant decreases (Iowa, Wisconsin, and South Dakota) and two had statistically significant increases (Vermont and Arkansas). Among 12-20 year olds, the national rate of binge drinking is 19%. Georgia, had the lowest rate of underage binge drinking in the past month (15.2%), while North Dakota had the highest rate (28.5%), almost double that of Georgia. (Source: SAMHSA, 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2008 State Data release)

According to the 2007 Monitoring the Future Study, reported incidents of binge drinking, that is having five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks, declined among 8th graders, were unchanged among 10th graders, and increased slightly among high school seniors.

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Despite the fact that it is illegal for most college students to purchase alcoholic beverages, experience with and consumption of alcohol is widespread among this audience. According to the 2006 Monitoring the Future Study 85% of college students have tried alcohol at least once in their lifetime and 73% report they have been drunk. More important, perhaps, is the occurrence of binge drinking – 40% of college students report having consumed five or more drinks in a row at least once in the two-weeks prior to completing the survey.

Trends in alcohol consumption among college students are quite different in relation to that of 12th graders. College students continue to show considerably less decline in their prevalence of alcohol use than other age groups – from 1980 to 2006 monthly alcohol use has declined 20 percent and binge drinking among college students has declined even less over this same period of time - since 1980 binge drinking among college students declined 9% from 44% to 40% in 2006. (View chart [21].) (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 2007)

By comparison, 46% of college students reported in the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health that they had engaged in binge drinking, and 19% reported episodes of heavy drinking, that is, binge drinking on five or more occasions in the past month.

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An overwhelming majority (90%) of American teens report that drinking is not worth the consequences it can cause. Teen girls ages 15 to 17 are significantly more likely than their male peers to report drinking is not worth the consequences it can cause (97% and 88%, respectively). (Source: TCC, Opinion Research Corp, Caravan, February 2008)

When asked what worries them the most about drinking alcohol, 39% of teens report getting in trouble with the law as their top worry trailing as their second leading worry is getting suspended or expelled from school (14%). (Source: TCC, Opinion Research Corp, Caravan, February 2008) Consistently, teens report if they were caught drinking, the foremost punishment that would stop or keep them from doing it again would be getting in trouble with the police/law (68% cite this punishment), followed by getting in trouble or suspended from school (55%). A cluster of punishments round out the top ten that are effective in stopping or keeping kids from drinking alcohol – getting suspended or kicked off the team/club (44%), getting grounded (42%), losing computer/Internet/IM (or Internet chat room) privileges (42%), getting kicked out of the house (41%), getting yelled at (37%), losing allowance (33%), and losing driving privileges (32%). (View chart [22].) (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz May 2003)

Nearly four out of five youth report they are not likely to continue to drink given the threat of punishment if caught drinking – a majority (52%) said the threat of punishment would deter them enough that they would definitely not continue to drink and 25% said they would probably not continue to drink. (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz May 2003)

Unfortunately, the threat of punishment if caught drinking alcohol diminishes with age: 87% of 12 year olds say they would definitely not continue to drink, while only 50% of 13-15 year olds and 46% of 16-18 year olds are likely not to drink given the threat of punishment. However, the threat of punishment does resonant with today’s youth, as only 4% overall report they would definitely continue to drink. (View chart [23].) (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz May 2003)

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According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 8.5 million 12-20 year old girls reported consuming alcohol in the past year.  In 2006, more male than female 12- to 20-year olds reported current alcohol consumption (29% v. 27%, respectively), binge drinking (21% v. 17%) and heavy drinking (8% v. 4%).  However, among 12- to 17-year olds, the percentage of females who report drinking in the past month (17%) remains slightly higher, although not significantly, than their male peers (16%).  (Source:  SAMHSA, 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007)

Among college students long-established and large gender differences exist in the prevalence of binge drinking.  According to the 2006 Monitoring the Future Study 45% of college males report having consumed five or more drinks in a row during the previous two weeks compared with 37% of their female peers.  This gender difference has narrowed gradually with males showing a slight decline and female rates increasing since the beginning of this study.

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When a person drinks alcohol, it affects almost every part of their body.  Beverage alcohol (i.e., ethanol) can change brain chemistry and become lethal in high doses.  Ethanol is metabolized in the liver at a rate of approximately one drink per hour, with wide variation depending on conditions, including weight, gender, and food.

More specifically, after alcohol is ingested, it reaches the stomach where about 20% of the alcohol absorbs into the blood stream, through small blood vessels. The remaining 80% of the alcohol continues to the small intestine and is absorbed there into the blood stream.

The alcohol flows through the blood stream and is metabolized by the liver, where the alcohol is broken down by enzymes. The liver can, on average, metabolize about one standard drink (i.e. one 12 ounce bottle of beer, one 5 ounce glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of 40% alcohol) in one hour.  Alcohol consumed in addition to these amounts can generally not be processed by the liver. When this happens, your blood becomes saturated and the additional alcohol makes its way to your body tissues and blood stream, until your liver can process the excess alcohol.  (Source: http://www.bloodalcohol.info/how-alcohol-affects-your-body.php [24])

Alcohol can alter sleep patterns, basic motor function, and thoughts and emotions.  Additionally, memory problems are fairly common among adolescents who consume alcohol.

Recent studies show that moderate use of alcohol may have a beneficial effect on the coronary system.  In general, for healthy people, one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men would be considered the maximum amount of alcohol consumption to be considered moderate use.  For persons under the age of 21 there is no healthy or legal amount of alcohol.

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National Survey on Drug Use and Health
According to the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 10.8 million Americans between ages 12-20 report current alcohol consumption; this represents nearly 28% of this age group for whom alcohol use is illegal. Among 12-20 year olds, the rates of past month consumption reported in the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health are similar to estimates reported since 2002. (Source: SAMHSA, 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007)

While there was no significant change at the national level in past month alcohol consumption among 12-20 year olds from 2004-05 to 2005-06, the national rate among youth in 2005-06 was 28.5%. Past month alcohol consumption among 12-20 year olds ranged from a low of 21.5% in Utah to a high of 38.3% in Vermont. Four states experienced a significant decrease in their rate of past month alcohol consumption among youth from 2004-05 (Massachusetts, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin), while three states saw statistically significant increases (Arkansas, Nevada, and Vermont). Nine of the top 10 states with the highest rate of past month consumption among 12-20 year olds also have one of the highest rates of binge drinking. (Source: SAMHSA, 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2008 State Data release)

Among older age groups, the prevalence of current alcohol consumption decreases with increasing age, however, among America’s youth the rate of current alcohol consumption increases with increasing age according to the 2006 survey, from 2% at age 12 to 6% at age 13, 12% at age 14, 19% at age 15, 27% at age 16, 32% at age 17, 46% at age 18, 52% at age 19, and 57% at age 20. (Source: SAMHSA, 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007)

Monitoring the Future
The 2007 Monitoring the Future survey revealed a decline in the annual rate of alcohol consumption among 8th and 12th graders from 2006 to 2007, with both grade levels reaching new record low levels. Annual consumption among 10th graders increased slightly from 55.8% in 2006 to 56.3% in 2007. Annual consumption rates among 8th and 12th graders for 2007 were 32% and 66%, respectively.

Nearly four out of ten students have consumed alcohol at least once by the end of eighth grade and slightly more than seven out of ten students have done so by the end of high school. That is, 39% of eighth grade students, 62% of tenth graders, and 72% of twelfth graders report they have tried alcohol. The figures represent a lifetime alcohol consumption decline of nearly two percentage point among 8th graders, and a slight decline among 12th graders, while lifetime consumption among 10th graders remained relatively unchanged from 2006. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 2007)

In 2007, reported monthly consumption rates declined among 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. As did the percentage of students in each grade saying they had been drunk in the month prior to the survey. Ten-year trends show significant reductions in both measures. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 2007)

Specifically, 16% of 8th graders report consuming alcohol in the past month – a new record low – down 37% proportionally from 25% in 1991. Tenth graders reported monthly consumption rate is down 22% from 43% in 1991 to 33% in 2006, and 12th graders’ 30-day consumption rate of 44% – also setting a new record low – is down 18% proportionally from 54% in 1991. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 2007)

Setting a historic low, all three grades reported an estimated one-percentage point decrease in self-reported been drunk in the past 30-days from 2006 to 2007 – 6% of 8th graders, 33% of 10th graders, and 44% of 12th graders. (Source: University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future, 2007)

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To determine parents' perspective on the legal consequences of underage drinking, we commissioned a survey of over 1,000 adults. The results show that overwhelmingly, 96% of adults and parents alike do not believe it is acceptable for parents or other adults to provide beverage alcohol to underage youth.

Further, all survey respondents said if they learned another parent or adult provided alcohol to their teenager without their permission, they would consider taking recourse against the other parent, or their child. The top actions adults would take include:

• Speaking with my child about the dangers and consequences of underage drinking (93%)
• Call that adult and express my objections/feelings/opinions (86%)
• Restrict my child's time at that family's house (80%)
• Limit my child's relationship with that family (76%)
• Notify other parents (74%)
• Punish my own child (69%)

Other actions adults report they would take if such an incident occurred include calling the police (44%), reporting the incident to the school (40%), and taking legal action, such as file charges, sue them, etc. (34%). (Source: TCC, Harris Interactive, Quorum, January 2006)

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Why Youth Say They Drink
When asked why today’s youth drink alcohol, 51% report neither they nor their friends drink. Among reasons cited by youth for why teens drink, 41% say to have a good time followed by celebrate (30%). Nearly three in ten teens (28%) say they drink to get drunk, and two in ten teens say to feel good (24%) or de-stress/relax (21%). (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz February 2003)

Where Youth Drink Alcohol
A lack of parental supervision appears to be the key ingredient in where today’s youth drink alcohol. When asked where underage drinking takes place, seven in ten teens cited parties with no parents home, followed by 61% of teens saying drinking occurs at their friends homes when the parents are not home. Other locations include parties in remote locations (48%), parties when parents are home (43%), and at events (34%). (View chart [25].) (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Lifestyles and Marketing Study Wave 42, 2003)

Where Youth Get Alcohol
Family and friends are the leading source of alcohol for today’s youth. When 10-18 year olds were asked the question, “How do you and your friends get the alcohol you drink” a majority (65%) of today’s youth who have consumed alcohol in the past year report family and friends as the leading source from which they get alcohol. (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz May 2003) Youth report contributing family and friend sources include older siblings or friends, parents allow me to have it, and taking it from my home or a friend’s home without permission. (View chart [26].) In a separate study, parents with children ages 18 and younger were also asked how do you think today’s youth get the alcohol they drink. A majority (53%) of parents cited family and friends as the leading source of alcohol for today’s youth. (Source: The Century Council, Wirthlin Worldwide, Quorum May 2003) Overall, kids and parents alike identify the same sources of alcohol for today’s youth.

Influence of Parents
Despite being identified by youth as one of their primary sources of alcohol, hands down, parents are the most influential person or thing in a child’s decision not to drink at all or not to drink on occasion. (View chart [27].) (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz May 2003) Seventy-one percent of youth report parents are the leading influence in their decision to drink or not drink. (Source: Roper Youth Report, 2007)

Regardless of the source of alcohol, youth report access to alcohol is easy. According to the 2007 Monitoring the Future Study 93% of 12th graders, 83% of 10th graders, and 63% of 8th graders getting alcohol would be “fairly easy” or “very easy” for them to get alcohol.

Why Youth Don’t Drink
Sixty-six percent of today’s youth say they choose not to drink at all or not to drink on occasion because they don’t want to. Other leading reasons youth cite about why they don’t drink alcohol include it’s unsafe/unhealthy (62%), it’s illegal (57%), parents ask/tell me not to (54%), it’s not cool (49%), I’m afraid of getting caught and getting in trouble (24%), and it would hurt my athletic performance (22%). (View chart [28].) (Source: The Century Council, TRU, Omnibuzz February 2003)

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Motor vehicle crashes remain the leading cause of death for 16- to 20-year olds.  In 2006, 1,648 youths between the ages of 16 and 20 were fatally injured in a crash that involved at least one driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher, an increase of nearly 4% from 2005.  Among 16-20 year old drivers, 7,286 were involved in a fatal crash, and 11% of these drivers had a BAC level of .08 or higher.  (Source:  NHTSA/FARS)

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