America's Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, 2020

Alcohol Use

Alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used by adolescents. Its use is associated with motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and deaths; problems in school and the workplace; and fighting, crime, and other serious consequences.⁴⁴ Early onset of binge drinking, defined here as five or more alcoholic beverages in a row or during a single occasion in the previous 2 weeks, may be especially problematic, potentially increasing the likelihood of these negative outcomes.⁴⁵

Figure 16: Percentage of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported having five or more alcoholic beverages in a row in the past 2 weeks by metropolitan status, 2019

• In 2019, 4% of 8th-, 9% of 10th-, and 14% of 12th-grade students reported binge drinking.
• Binge drinking was reported by 18% of 12th-grade students living in nonmetropolitan areas compared with 14% of 12th-grade students living in metropolitan areas.
• Among 10th-grade students, there was no significant difference in reported binge drinking, with 10% of those living in nonmetropolitan areas and 8% of those living in metropolitan areas reporting use.
• Likewise, binge drinking among 8th-grade students did not differ by geographic area, with 5% of those living in nonmetropolitan areas and 4% of those living in metropolitan areas reporting use.

Brief12 HTML Table