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
NOTE: Binge drinking is defined as having five or more alcoholic beverages in a row in the past 2 weeks. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget classifies some counties as within a metropolitan statistical area. The remaining counties are considered nonmetropolitan. Nonmetropolitan counties include counties in micropolitan statistical and rural areas.
SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.
44 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. (2016). Facing addiction in America: The Surgeon General's report on alcohol, drugs, and health. Retrieved from https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-generals-report.pdf
45 National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (2004/2005). Alcohol and development in youth—A multidisciplinary overview. Alcohol Research and Health, 28(3), 107–176. Retrieved from https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh283/toc28-3.htm