Tragic health, social, and economic problems result from the use of
alcohol by youth. Underage drinking is a causal factor in a host of
serious problems, including homicide, suicide, traumatic injury,
drowning, burns, violent and property crime, high risk sex, fetal
alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisoning, and need for treatment for alcohol
abuse and dependence.

***Problems and Costs Associated with Underage Drinking in Alabama***

Underage drinking cost the citizens of Alabama \$873 million in 2001.
These costs include medical care, work loss, and pain and suffering
associated with the multiple problems resulting from the use of alcohol
by youth.[^1] This translates to a cost of \$1,934 per year for each
youth in the State. Alabama ranks 38^th^ highest among the 50 states for
the cost per youth of underage drinking. Excluding pain and suffering
from these costs, the direct costs of underage drinking incurred through
medical care and loss of work cost Alabama \$293 million each year.

> **Costs of Underage Drinking by Problem, Alabama 2001**

+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| > **Problem**                           | **Total Costs**            |
|                                         |                            |
|                                         | **(in millions)**          |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Youth Violence                          | \$486.8                    |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Youth Traffic Crashes                   | \$213.5                    |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| High-Risk Sex, Ages 14-20               | \$62.2                     |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Youth Property Crime                    | \$47.9                     |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Youth Injury                            | \$26.2                     |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Poisonings and Psychoses                | \$8.9                      |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| FAS Among Mothers Age 15-20             | \$13.3                     |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Youth Alcohol Treatment                 | \$13.8                     |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| **Total**                               | **\$872.8**                |
+-----------------------------------------+----------------------------+

Youth violence and traffic crashes attributable to alcohol use by
underage youth in Alabama represent the largest costs for the State.
However, a host of other problems contribute substantially to the
overall cost. Among teen mothers, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) alone
costs Alabama \$13.3 million.

Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely
to develop alcohol dependence and are two and a half times more likely
to become abusers of alcohol than those who begin drinking at age
21.[^2] In 2001, 595 youth 12- 20 years old were admitted for alcohol
treatment in Alabama, accounting for 9.1% of all treatment admissions
for alcohol abuse in the State.[^3]

***Alcohol Consumption by Youth in Alabama***

Underage drinking is widespread in Alabama. Approximately 194,000
underage youth in Alabama drink each year. In 2001, according to
self-reports by Alabama students in grades 9-12: [^4]

-   76% had at least one drink of alcohol on one or more days during
    their life.

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-   28% had their first drink of alcohol, other than a few sips, before
    age 13.

-   43% had at least one drink of alcohol on one or more occasion in the
    past 30 days.

-   25% had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row (i.e. binge
    drinking) in the past 30 days.

-   3% had at least one drink of alcohol on school property on one or
    more of the past 30 days.

In 2001, underage drinkers consumed 14.6% of all alcohol sold in
Alabama, totaling \$193 million in sales. These sales provided profits
of \$95 million to the alcohol industry.^1^

  ----------------------------------------------------------- -----------
  **Total underage drinking sales**                           **\$193
                                                              million**

  **Total alcohol industry profits on underage drinking**     **\$95
                                                              million**

  **Total underage drinking costs**                           **\$873
                                                              million**
  ----------------------------------------------------------- -----------

Produced by: The International Institute for Alcohol Awareness (IIAA), a
Project of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE).
www.beawarenow.org.

[^1]: Levy, D.T., Miller, T.R., & Cox, K.C. (2003). Underage drinking:
    societal costs and seller profits. Working Paper. Calverton, MD:
    PIRE.

[^2]: Grant, B.F., & Dawson, D.A. (1997). Ago at onset of alcohol use
    and its association with DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence:
    Results from the Nation Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey.
    *Journal of Substance Abuse 9*: 103-110.

[^3]: Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
    Services Administration. Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). (2001).
    *Substance Abuse Treatment by Primary Substance of Abuse, According
    to Sex, Age, Race, and Ethnicity*. Available \[On-line\]:
    http://wwwdasis.samsha.gov/teds00?TEDS_2k_index.htm.

[^4]: Center for Disease Control (CDC). (2001). Youth Risk Behavior
    Surveillance System (YRBSS). Available \[On-line\]:
    http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/2001/youth01online/htm.