Among young Americans 18 to 25 years old, 8.4%, or 2.8 million people) said they were heavy alcohol users, down from 10.9%, or 3.8 million people, in 2015, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration reported.
But, the agency added in releasing results of its annual survey or drug and alcohol use trends, among adolescents 12 to 17, past-month heavy alcohol use increased to 0.8% (or 208.000) adolescents from 0.5% (or 131,000 adolescents) in 2018. The agency notes “these estimates are similar to those made in 1015 to 2018. . . . Thus, continued monitoring of trends in heavy alcohol use among adolescents is important to help reduce harmful consequences related to underage drinking problems in the United States.”
Among adults 26 and older, heavy alcohol use remained stable at 6%.
Underage alcohol use declined to 18.5% (or 7.0 million people) in 2019 from 28.8% (or 10.7 million people) in 2002. The percentage who were past month binge alcohol users declined to 11.1% (or 4.2 million people) in 2019 from 13.4% (or 5.1 million people) in 2015. The percentage who were past month heavy alcohol users declined to 2.2% (or 825,000 people) in 2019 from 3.3% (or 1.3 million people) in 2015.
Responsibility.org praised the results, saying the survey shows “record low prevalence of alcohol consumption amongst American youth, continuing a steady decline across all prevalence rates measured that has led to nearly 3 million fewer underage drinkers and 2.2 million fewer binge drinkers over the past 10 years.
“The number of 12- to 20-year-olds who have consumed any alcohol in the last month has declined nearly 30% since 2010 (falling from 26% in 2010 to 18.5% in 2019). In just the last four years, underage binge drinking decreased 17% (from 17% in 2015 to 11% in 2019) and underage heavy drinking declined 33% (from 3.3% in 2015 to 2.2 in 2019).
Other key findings of the NSDUH show reaching parents, communities, and educators is key to eliminating underage drinking. NSDUH data show that seven out of 10 underage drinkers did not pay for the alcohol they consumed. Nearly 60% reported the alcohol was paid for by an unrelated person who is 21 or older (29%) or parents or family member who is 21 or older (28%). Other sources include getting it from someone under 21 (16%) and taking it from their own or someone else’s home (12%).
Among students who report drinking in the past month, 41% of students report someone else gave them the alcohol they drank. The source of alcohol consumed by high school students has remained unchanged in the past decade.