Forum on Child and Family StatisticsAlcohol Use
Alcohol is the most common psychoactive substance used during adolescence. Its use is associated with motor vehicle accidents, injuries, and deaths; problems in school and the workplace; and fighting, crime, and other serious consequences. 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.90
Indicator BEH2: 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 grade, 2000–2022
NOTE: Data for 10th graders for 2008 are not included because estimates are considered to be unreliable due to sampling error. See https://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/09data.html#2009data-drugs.
SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Monitoring the Future Survey.
- In 2022, the percentages of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students who reported binge drinking was 2.2%, 5.9%, and 12.6%, respectively.
- Binge drinking declined from 4.5% in 2020 to 2.2% in 2022 for 8th-grade students, and from 9.6% in 2020 to 5.9% in 2022 for 10th-grade students.
- In 2022, about 2.1% of male and 1.7% of female 8th-grade students reported binge drinking; among 10th-grade students, the proportion was 5.4% for males and 6.1% for female students; and among 12th-grade students, 14.3% of male students and 11.2% of female students reported binge drinking.
- Among 8th-grade students, 2.6% of White, non-Hispanic; 2.1% of Hispanic; and 1.6% of Black, non-Hispanic students reported binge drinking. In the same year, 6.6% of White, non-Hispanic; 5.8% of Hispanic; and 3.8% of Black, non-Hispanic 10th-grade students reported binge drinking. Among 12th-grade students in 2022, 16.0% of White, non-Hispanic; 8.1% of Hispanic; and 4.5% of Black, non-Hispanic students reported binge drinking.
90 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. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19093683/.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
