3. Alcohol Use

A number of measures of alcohol use are available from the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). This chapter discusses past month alcohol use, past month binge alcohol use, and the perceived risk of binge alcohol use. Binge alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on a least 1 day in the 30 days prior to the survey. Alcohol is the most commonly used substance. Nationally in the year 2001, almost half of Americans age 12 or older reported having had a drink in the past month (48.3 percent), and about a fifth (20.5 percent) participated in binge drinking in the past 30 days (Office of Applied Studies [OAS], 2002c). Moreover, among youths age 12 to 17, 17.3 percent reported using alcohol in the past month, and 10.6 percent reported past month binge alcohol use.

3.1. Alcohol

The State that indicated the highest rate of current use of alcohol among persons age 12 or older for 2000–2001 was Vermont (61.6 percent) (Figure 3.1; Table B.7). The States in the top fifth (i.e., highest rates) were primarily in the North, including five States in the Northeast, three in the Midwest, and one in the West. The only State from the South in this group was Delaware. All of the States in the lowest fifth were from the South, except for Utah (West region). Utah had the lowest rate (28.9 percent) of past month alcohol use in the Nation. Six out of the ten States in the highest quintile were common to all three age groups (12 to 17, 18 to 25, and 26 or older): North Dakota, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Vermont, and Wisconsin (Figures 3.1 to 3.4; Table A.7).

In general, the correlations of 1999–2000 rankings with the 2000–2001 rankings were 0.93 or higher for all three age groups and for all persons age 12 or older collectively, indicating a high degree of continuity over this period. Ten States posted changes between 1999–2000 and 2000–2001. With the exception of Alaska, all of the changes were increased rates of use. For Alaska, among the 12 or older age group, 52.9 percent reported current use of alcohol in 1999–2000, but only 49.4 percent indicated use in 2000–2001. Of the States with increases, only the District of Columbia and South Carolina revealed significant increases in as many as three of the age groups: 18 to 25, 26 or older, and 12 or older. Only Pennsylvania showed an increase among youths age 12 to 17 (from 15.8 to 17.6 percent) (Table A.7).

3.3. Perceptions of Risk of Binge Alcohol Use

People's perceptions of the risk of binge drinking did not appear to be as closely related to their actual rates of binge drinking at the State level in 2000–2001 as they were in 1999–2000. Only five of the States with the highest rates of binge use of alcohol in 2000–2001 also were States with the lowest perceived risk of binge drinking during the same period for the population age 12 or older (Figures 3.5 and 3.9; Table s B.8 and B.9), although eight States were in both groups in 1999–2000. Eight out of ten States with the lowest perceived risk were common to all three age groups (12 to 17, 18 to 25, and 26 or older): South Dakota, North Dakota, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Vermont, and Montana. The States in the highest fifth of rates of perceived risk (age 12 or older) were either from the South (seven States) or the West (three States).

The District of Columbia displayed significant decreases in the perceived risk of binge use of alcohol from 1999–2000 to 2000–2001 in the 18 to 25 age group (from 49.5 to 41.5 percent), in the 26 or older age group (from 57.7 to 53.3 percent), and among all persons age 12 or older (from 55.9 to 51.5 percent) (Table A.9).

Figure 3.1 Percentages Reporting Past Month Use of Alcohol among Persons Aged 12 or Older, by State: 2000 and 2001

Figure 3.1 D

SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 2000 and 2001.

Figure 3.2 Percentages Reporting Past Month Use of Alcohol among Youths Aged 12 to 17, by State: 2000 and 2001

Figure 3.2 D