{"id":9730,"date":"2024-05-13T20:50:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T00:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.responsibility.org\/?page_id=9730"},"modified":"2025-04-08T21:07:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T01:07:12","slug":"underage-drinking-statistics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.responsibility.org\/alcohol-statistics\/underage-drinking-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"Statistics on Underage Drinking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n

Though progress is being made,\u202funderage drinking<\/strong>\u202fremains a persistent problem. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report<\/a>, about 5.6 million Americans between the ages of 12 and 20 report current alcohol consumption; this represents nearly 15% of this age group for whom alcohol consumption is illegal. Between 2021 and 2023 the survey noted declines in the prevalence rates of alcohol consumption among 12- to 20-year-olds, including reaching historic low levels in 2023 of lifetime, annual, and past month consumption.  While underage drinking rates decreased, these declines were not statistically significant year over year, however, they represent a continuation of a steady and long-term decline. There were no significant differences in the estimates of binge drinking and heavy alcohol consumption among 12- to 20-year olds.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early drinking is a risk factor for alcohol use disorders. Adults who had taken their first drink of alcohol before the age of 15 were 6.5 times more likely to experience an alcohol use disorder than those who didn\u2019t start drinking before age 21. (SAMHSA, 2017 NSDUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After declining significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, substance use among American youth has continued to hold steady at lowered levels for the fourth year in a row, including record low levels in underage drinking. These prevalence rates continue to be significant in that they demonstrate the potential lifetime reduction in substance use by delaying the onset of alcohol and other substances by a single year.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2024 Monitoring the Future<\/a> study found the prevalence of alcohol consumption among America\u2019s youth continued a long-term decline that has taken place over the past two decades. For the three grades combined (8th, 10th, and 12th) the proportion of students reporting lifetime, annual, current (past 30-days), and binge drinking (33 percent, 27 percent, 13 percent, and 5 percent, respectively) decreased in 2024, reaching historic low levels and below pre-pandemic rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underage Drinking–National Survey Results<\/a>
<\/a>College Drinking-National Survey Results<\/a>
Gender Differences in Alcohol Consumption<\/a>
Where Youth Get their Alcohol<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underage Drinking – National Statistics<\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

For more than 30 years the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility has been leading the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking. While rates have declined, alcohol consumption among youth under the legal drinking age remains a concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rate of current alcohol consumption increases with increasing age according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health<\/a> from 1.2% among 12-13 year olds to 6% among 14-15 years to 13% at ages 16-17, and more than doubling among 18-20 year olds (31%). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Fewer American teens are drinking than ever before, reaching new lows in 2023.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Nearly 88% of America’s youth have not consumed alcohol in the past 30 days. Past month consumption declined at the individual grade levels with a significant decrease noted among 10th graders between 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Harmful consumption continues to decline. In 2024, binge drinking reached record low levels among students in 8th, 10th and 12th grades, but these one-year decreases were not statistically significant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>In 2024, lifetime consumption declined in all three grade levels, reaching historic low levels. Six-seven percent of American teens have never consumed alcohol, a clear indication of success in delaying the onset of underage drinking.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Monitoring the Future <\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The majority of American teens do not drink alcohol, and the long-term declines noted over the past few decades continued in 2024. As noted in the 2024<\/a><\/span> Monitoring the Future<\/a> <\/a>survey, lifetime, annual, past month consumption, and binge drinking levels are below pre-pandemic levels and at historic low levels \u2013 67 percent of American teens report they have never consumed alcohol in their lifetime. Peer disapproval of binge drinking remains high among 8th<\/sup>, 10th<\/sup>, and 12th<\/sup> graders in 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An unintended but positive consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented declines in underage alcohol consumption among American teens. In 2024, the noted decreases in the prevalence of alcohol consumption among youth continued a long-term decline that has taken place over the past two decades and is significantly lower than peak years recorded in the early to mid-1990s, when tracking this data began. From 2000 to 2024 past year consumption alone has decreased 42 percent proportionally, from 73% to 42% among high school seniors, 60 percent proportionally, from 65% to 26% among 10th graders, and 70 percent proportionally, from 43% to 13% among 8th graders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One in eight teens (14%) report consuming alcohol in the past 30 days. Current alcohol consumption among students in all three grade levels combined reached an historic low in 2024, having declined 43 percent since 2015 and 69 percent since 1991. At the individual grade levels, past month consumption remained relatively unchanged among 8th<\/sup> and 12th<\/sup> grade students between 2023 and 2024 but declined significantly among 10th<\/sup> grade students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n