The
NSDUH Report: Alcohol Use and Delinquent Behaviors among
Youths
Highlights:
- In addition to questions
about drug use, SAMHSA's 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
asked youth to report how often they engaged in the following delinquent
behaviors in the past year: (a) serious fighting at school or work,
(b) taking part in a fight where a group of friends fought against another
group, (c) attacking someone with the intent to seriously hurt them,
(d) stealing or trying to steal something worth more than $50, (e) selling
illegal drugs, or (f) carrying a handgun.
- In 2003, an estimated
9 million (36.1%) youths aged 12 to 17 had engaged in at least one delinquent
behavior in the past year. Almost 6 million (23.8%) took part in a serious
fight at school or work; 4.5 million (18.1%) took part in a group-against-group
fight; 2.1 million (8.3%) attacked someone with the intent to seriously
hurt them; 1.1 million (4.5%) stole or tried to steal something worth
more than $50; over 900,000 (3.6%) sold illegal drugs; and over 900,000
(3.6%) carried a handgun during the past year.
- Youths who reported
heavy alcohol use in the past month were the most likely to have participated
in any of the six delinquent behaviors assessed in SAMHSA's National
Survey on Drug Use and Health. Heavy drinking was defined as drinking
five or more alcoholic beverages on the same occasion on each of 5 or
more days in the past 30 days. All heavy alcohol users are also binge
alcohol users, i.e., drank five or more drinks on the same occasion
on at least one day in the past 30 days.
Other
reports on delinquent behaviors
Reports
on youth
Other drugs
Other topics
Other
OAS publications and services
This Short Report, The
NSDUH Report: Alcohol Use and Delinquent Behaviors among
Youths,
is based on SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug
Use and Health conducted by the Office of Applied
Studies (OAS) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and
consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse and for selected mental health measures in the general U.S. civilian non institutionalized population, age 12 and older.
SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health also provides estimates
for drug use and for selected mental health measures by State.
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