Did you know?

• The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08%—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or higher. ​

•  For a typical adult, binge drinking corresponds to drinking 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about two hours.​

• Research shows that fewer drinks in the same timeframe result in the same BAC in youth. 

Fast Facts 

• Factors in a young person's environment affect both the appeal of alcohol and its availablity. Among these factors are the social systems within which teens function and with which they interact. 

• Examples of these social systems are parents, friends, family, schools, and the community. The media and the larger social culture, including how alcohol is marketed and portrayed, also contributes to alcohol's appeal to young people.

• The different "worlds" teens live in can have a big effect on their drinking. Teens with behavior or family problems are at higher risk for alcohol use.
   

Impact by the Numbers

Many people don't know that underage alcohol use is a major cause of death from injuries among young people.

Each year, approximately 5,000 people under the age of 21 dies as a result of underage drinking. This includes: 

• 1,900 deaths from motor vehicle crashes,

• 1,600 deaths as a result of homicides, 

• 300 deaths as a result of suicide, 

• hundres of other injuries such as falls, burns and drownings. 

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Changing Trends

Good news: Alcohol use among youth 12-17 is going down--but not for everyone.

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Historically, adolescent boys were more likely to drink and binge drink than girls. Now, that relationship is reversed. 

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More girls are reporting alcohol use and binge drinking. It's a trend we should be talking about.

If we are looking at numbers, 15.6% of girls report drinking in the past month, versus 13.7% boys who reported drinking or binge drinking.