Underage Drinking

College and high school students-and even younger children-drink for numerous reasons: curiosity about alcohol; liking the taste of alcohol; rite of passage; peer pressure; to relieve tension and stress; relax; gain confidence; boredom; or just to get drunk on purpose for the so-called fun of it. According to the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings ((Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), alcohol is the drug most commonly used by children and adolescents. Up to 81 percent of high school students have tried alcohol at some point in their lives, compared with 70 percent who have smoked cigarettes and 47 percent who have used marijuana.

The minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) is 21in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. But the mean age at which teenagers begin drinking is 15.6 years and each day approximately 7,000 children under the age of 16 take their first drink (SAMHSA). The 2003 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported that 27.8 percent of the adolescents interviewed had their first drink before the age of 13.

Teen Tipplers: America's Underage Drinking Epidemic, a report produced by Columbia University's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), revealed that nationwide, 40.6 percent of 9th graders, 49.7 percent of 10th graders, 50.9 percent of 11th graders, and 61.7 percent of 12th graders reported current use of alcohol. Children under the age of 21 drink 19.7 percent of the alcohol (mostly beer) consumed in the United States. And college students spend about $5.5 billion each year on alcohol, more than they spend on soft drinks, milk, juice, tea, coffee, and books combined.

The CASA report also stated that the annual costs to society of alcohol use and abuse are estimated conservatively at $184.6 billion. Of that, about 30 percent, or $53 billion, is the result of underage drinking. Early use of alcohol has its effects on young minds and bodies, just as it does on adults. CASA reports that alcohol damages young brains and other organs, interferes with mental and social development, and interrupts academic progress. Alcohol increases the chances of juvenile delinquency and crime, and it is a major factor contributing to the three leading causes of teen death: accidents, homicide, and suicide.

On college campuses, where 44 percent of students binge drink (five or more drinks in a row), alcohol is the number one substance of abuse implicated in date rape, sexual harassment, racial disturbances, drop outs, overdose deaths from alcohol poisoning, and suicides.

In spite of the MLDA of 21, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in Traffic Safety Facts 2004: Young Drivers, that of the 3,620 drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 who died in vehicle crashes in 2004, 24 percent had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. The .08 g/dL BAC is the level at which it is illegal to drive in 45 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

How does it start?

Fueled by the reasons described in the first paragraph, underage drinking can start at home, at the home of friends, or at parties, sports events-in other words, in many places where young people gather to socialize. Often, older siblings, friends, or other adults buy the alcohol for them, or they use fake IDs. And, as reported in Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility (National Academies Press), studies of alcohol purchases across the nation reveal that 40 to 90 percent of retail outlets have sold alcohol to underage buyers (depending on the location and environmental context) without asking for identification.

Parental attitudes, also, can influence whether a minor will drink. Some adults excuse underage drinking as a rite of passage and many say that it is acceptable to give alcohol to their children in the privacy of their homes.

What can be done?

Responsibility begins with parents, of course, but schools, community groups, legislators, law enforcement personnel, and even teens themselves, can play a part in educating young people about alcohol and in changing attitudes about drinking. Dozens of resources are available to provide information about the problem of underage drinking and how to deal with, or prevent, it. An example is the COPS Office Problem Oriented Policing Guide on Underage Drinking that provides information on the role of police. The CASA report, referenced above, describes the problem, obstacles to, and strategies for, reducing underage drinking. The Alcohol Epidemiology Program at the University of Minnesota describes specific strategies that police, parents, civic groups, schools and colleges, and faith organization can follow to reduce youth access to alcohol. These and related resources are described in Guides and Reports, Links to Other Resources, and Training and Technical Assistance.