Underage alcohol use, binge drinking continues to fall

A new government report found that both drinking and binge drinking among young people fell significantly between 2002 and 2013.

The percentage of underage people who drank declined from 28.8 percent to 22.7 percent. The proportion of binge drinkers – people who consumed five or more drinks during one occasion – decreased from 19.3 percent to 14.2 percent, according to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The study is the latest evidence that alcohol might be losing some of its allure for underage youth, defined in the study as 12 to 20 years old.

Based on the survey, which involved more than 30,000 people in that age group across the country, there are about 8.7 million underage drinkers in the United States, and about 5.4 million were binge drinkers.

The survey also found that alcohol remains the preferred substance of abuse among youths. Seventeen percent of respondents reported using tobacco while 13.6 percent reported using illicit drugs, the report said.

The study is consistent with the findings of other surveys over the past few years and coincides with campaigns by federal and local governments to reduce underage drinking.

The efforts are framed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a response to what experts consider a major health problem. Underage drinking, officials warn, can slow brain development and contribute to incidents such as violence, car crashes and drowning.

Alcohol is a factor in the deaths of some 4,300 underage drinkers each year and in hundreds of thousands of hospital visits, according to the CDC.

Federal and local governments have been encouraging parents to talk to their children about alcohol use at an early age. SAMHSA developed a campaign called “Talk. They Hear You,” featuring a mobile app with interactive games to help parents prepare for conversations with their children.

“Our target is to change social norms,” said Frances Harding, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. “Have norms been changed? Absolutely.”

A study by the University of Michigan last December found that high school students increasingly looking askance at drinking to excess on weekends, with about 75 percent of seniors disapproving of it.

Meanwhile, binge drinking among the general population has remained flat. Most deaths associated with alcohol poisoning occur among white men ages 35 to 64, not in the college-age population.

Overall, the survey of 67,000 people found that just over half of Americans in 2013 reported being drinkers while 23 percent, which would translate to about 60 million people, reported being binge drinkers, the agency reported.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

South County Fire plans push-in ceremony for newest fire engine

Anybody who attends will have the opportunity to help push the engine into the station.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

National Weather Service issues red flag warning for slopes of Cascades

High temperatures, low humidity and winds are combining for critical fire weather conditions, either “imminent or occurring now.”

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Photo courtesy of Graphite Arts Center
Amelia DiGiano’s photography is part of the “Seeing Our Planet” exhibit, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds.
A&E Calendar for July 10

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Lynnwood
Lynnwood child, 4, accidentally shoots mother, father arrested

The child retrieved a loaded firearm from his father, who was asleep at the time, South County deputies said.

Opponents of President Donald Trump’s executive order indefinitely halting refugee resettlement in the U.S. rally on the steps of the federal courthouse in Seattle on Feb. 25, 2025, after a judge issued a ruling blocking the president’s order. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
Refugees from travel ban countries must be allowed to enter US, Seattle judge rules

It’s the latest twist in the legal battle over President Trump’s attempt to block refugee resettlement.

Position 1 candidates prioritize public safety, differ on tax increases

Derica Escamilla is looking to retain her seat against challengers Dio Boucsieguez and Brandon Kimmel.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.