Report: Underage, Binge Drinking on the Decline
WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) — Underage drinking and binge drinking among minors fell significantly between 2002 and 2013, indicating alcohol might be losing some of its allure with underage drinkers, even though it remains the most widely used substance of abuse, a new government report found.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reported the percentage of young people, age 12 to 20, who drank declined 28.8 percent to 22.7 percent, a 6.1 percent decline. Binge drinking — consuming five or more drinks during one occasion — decreased from 19.3 percent to 14.2 percent, a 5.1 percent decline.
The survey found that in 2013 there were about 8.7 million underage drinkers and about 5.4 million binge drinkers.
“While we’re always very happy about these declines, we can’t lose sight of the fact that we have approximately 9 million underage drinkers in the country,” said Rich Lucey, special assistant to the director at SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse.
The SAMHSA developed a campaign called “Talk. They Hear You,” with a mobile app to help parents begin conversations about alcohol with their children.
“Our target is to change social norms,” said Frances M. Harding, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Have norms been changed? Absolutely.”
