Drinking Levels Among Youth

The 2009 Risk Behavior Survey found that among high school students, during the past 30 days

-42% drank some amount of alcohol

-24% binge drank

-10% drove after drinking alcohol

-28% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol

Teen Alcoholism

Alcohol is the drug of choice among adolescents: three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in five 8th graders have consumed alcohol in their lifetime (more than a few sips) in their lifetime. The younger you are when you start drinking, the greater your chance of becoming addicted to alcohol at some point in your life. More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before the age of 15 eventually become an alcoholic.

Teens use of substances

Teens' use of substances has dropped in recent years. But substance use still remains a leading cause of injury and death in young people. It also causes long-term social and health problems. Growth and development can be affected by tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. Teens who abuse these substances may have trouble finding their identity, building relationship skills, and becoming emotionally stable. They also may have trouble preparing for their future. Substance abuse can affect memory and learning, which can harm a teen's schoolwork.

11 Facts ABout Teens and Alcohol

1. The average age when you first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls.

2. By age 14, 41% of children have had at least one drink.

3. The average age at which Americans begin drinking regularly is 15.9 years old.

4. Teens who begin drinking before age 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21.

5. An early age of drinking onset is also associated with alcohol-related violence not only among persons under age 21 but among adults as well.

6. It's estimated that over three million teenagers are out-and-out alcoholics. Several million more have a serious drinking problem that they cannot manage on their own.

7. Annually, more than 5,000 deaths of people under age 21 are linked to underage drinking.

8. Various studies have found that 44% of students attending 4-year colleges drink alcohol at the binge level or greater.

9. Every year, an estimated 30,000 college student require medical treatment after overdosing on alcohol.

10. Annually, 400,000 students between the ages 18 and 24 engage in unprotected sex while drunk and say they wouldn't have done it had they been sober.

11. The three leading causes of death for 15 to 24 year olds are automobile crashes, homicides and suicides -- alcohol is a leading factor in all three.