By the age of 15, 35% of teenagers have tried alcohol, with that number increasing to 65% by the age of 18.

Across America’s adolescent population, alcohol remains the most widely abused substance. By the age of 15, 35% of teenagers have tried alcohol, with that number increasing to 65% by the age of 18. Youth between the ages of 12 and 20 account for 11% of all alcohol consumption in the United States, with more than 90% of that alcohol reported to be consumed by binge drinking – consuming more than 4 or 5 drinks in a single sitting. As adolescents mature and grow older, binge drinking becomes even more prevalent. The consequences of underage drinking impacts everyone – aggressive behavior, property damage, injuries, violence and even death. As the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, alcohol poses a serious public health problem not just for some individuals and families, but for our nation as a whole.                                   

For more information, please visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/UnderageDrinking/Underage_Fact.pdf