Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks. Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2015
The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that among teens, in the past month. Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2019
29% drank alcohol
14% binge drank
5% drove after drinking alcohol
17% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol
Drinking and driving [among youth] continues to be an issue of great importance. Drinking and driving rounds out the list of teens’ top three social concerns. More than one-third of teens (35%) cite drinking and driving as an issue they care strongly about, making it their top life-and-death issues and ranking it third overall following child abuse (40%) and education (40%). Source: The TRU Study, 2012
In 2013, there were approximately 119,000 emergency rooms visits by persons aged 12 to 21 for injuries and other conditions linked to alcohol. This does not include fatalities. Traffic accidents are the number one cause of death for minors. Source: Centers for Disease Control, 2017
The rate of drunk driving fatalities in 2020 was highest among 21- to 24-year-olds (26%). Source: NHTSA, 2022