Underage Drinking Statistics

There a total of 20.7 million teenagers in America. And more than half of them, 10.6 million to be exact, drink alcoholic beverages. 8 million drink each week; 5.4 million have been legally drunk, consuming more than five consecutive drinks at least once. And a total of 454,000 teenagers go on wild binge-drinking EVERY WEEK[1] — this was in 1991. Two decades later, underage drinking statistics still tell the same story, if not worse. In 2005, surveys show that minors consume 15% of all alcohol sold in the US amounting to about $19.8 BILLION in sales.[2][4]

As of January 2011, a survey which was more suitably conducted by SADD (Students Against Drunk Driving) as it reported the sad news that alcohol remains exceedingly popular among minors. 72% of students have consumed (as opposed to mere tasting) alcoholic beverages before graduating in high school and 37% of them have done just that before finishing the eighth grade.[3] What’s more, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the rate of alcohol consumption increases as the person gets older. At age 12, there is a 2.4% incidence of drinking alcohol, rising to 22.4% at age 16 and reaching an all time high at 56% by the age of 20.

The increasing acceptance and seemingly glamorous perception of youth towards drinking alcohol leads to heightened risk-taking behaviours among teenagers. This can unfortunately result in accidents.  Statistics of underage drinking from a study about Binge Drinking and Associated Health Risk Behaviors Among High School Students pointed out that the three leading causes of death among minors are through by underage drinking.  Oftentimes, these mishaps ensue from alcohol intoxication due to binge drinking. [5]

National statistics on underage drinking further support the increased risk-taking behaviours of minors when intoxicated with alcohol. In 2009,the results of a Youth Risk Behaviour Survey showed that among high school students, 10% of the students drove after drinking alcohol while 28% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. [6]

Because of increased danger-seeking behaviours, more minors become involved in different types of alcohol related accidents. Underage drinking stats in the US show that approximately 5,000 young people die due to underage drinking-related behaviours; of this, 1,900 deaths come from motorcycle accidents, 1,600 are due to homicides, 300 from suicide and many other injuries are caused by falls, burns and drowning.[7]

When intoxicated, these minors are as much a danger to themselves as they are to others. In 2006, roughly 989,100 nonfatal but violent crimes resulted from underage drinking. These crimes include rape, robbery and assault, among others. Another offshoot of alcohol intoxication among minors includes 1.9 million property crimes including burglary, larceny, and car theft.[8]

These numbers are shocking as they are right now, but bad as the underage drinking statistics are right now, it is definite that even more shocking statistics await us in the future if action is not taken.