ATLANTA – New research reveals Georgia ranks top 10 among states with the lowest percentage of underage drinking nationwide.
Release:
- Georgia has the seventh lowest percentage of underage drinking in the country, according to a new study.
- Mississippi takes the top spot with the nation’s lowest rates of underage drinking.
- In contrast, Vermont has the highest prevalence of drinking between the ages of 12-20, followed by Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
New data reveals the states with the highest and lowest prevalence of underage drinking.
The research, conducted by addiction recovery resource Addiction Treatment Magazine, compared all 50 states based on the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study examined the number of young people between the ages of 12-20 who had consumed an alcoholic drink over the last month and had engaged in binge drinking, which is classified as consuming four or more drinks in one sitting.
The study revealed that Mississippi has the lowest rate of underage drinking per population. Only 9.7% of Mississippi’s population aged between 12-20 regularly consume alcohol, which equates to 32,000 young people in the state. Similarly, the state has the lowest rate of binge drinking in the country, with 5.4%.
The study revealed that Utah has the second lowest percentage of underage drinking nationwide. Among people aged between 12-20, nearly 11% had consumed alcohol in the month of the study, and 6.8% had participated in binge drinking, classified as four or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting.
North Carolina places next in the ranking with the third lowest rate of underage drinking in the country. When broken down, there were a total of 125,000 underage drinkers in North Carolina during the month analyzed, which equates to 11.3% of the state’s population.
Alabama ranks as the fourth state with the lowest prevalence of underage drinking per population, with 12%, while Arkansas follows closely behind in fifth place, with 12.3%. The top ten is rounded out by Indiana ranking sixth, Georgia in seventh, followed by Idaho, Tennessee, and Texas in eighth, ninth and tenth, respectively.
| The top 10 states with the lowest prevalence of drinking between the ages 12-20 | |||||
| Order | State | Alcohol use in past month (%) | Binge alcohol use in past month (%) | Alcohol use in past month (in thousands) | Binge alcohol use in past month (in thousands) |
| 1. | Mississippi | 9.7% | 5.4% | 32,000 | 18,000 |
| 2. | Utah | 10.7% | 6.8% | 53,000 | 34,000 |
| 3. | North Carolina | 11.3% | 6% | 126,000 | 66,000 |
| 4. | Alabama | 12% | 6.6% | 71,000 | 39,000 |
| 5. | Arkansas | 12.3% | 7.2% | 46,000 | 27,000 |
| 6. | Indiana | 12.6% | 6.7% | 103,000 | 55,000 |
| 7. | Georgia | 12.6% | 6.9% | 176,000 | 96,000 |
| 8. | Idaho | 12.7% | 6.8% | 29,000 | 16,000 |
| 9. | Tennessee | 12.8% | 7.2% | 99,000 | 56,000 |
| 10. | Texas | 13.3% | 7.1% | 522,000 | 280,000 |
At the other end of the scale, Vermont has the highest rate of underage alcohol use in the country. According to the data conducted over the course of a month, nearly 25% of young people in Vermont aged between 12-20 had consumed alcohol, equating to 18,000 young people. The state also leads the nation in underage binge drinking, with over 14 percent of Vermont minors participating in binge drinking.
The study revealed that Rhode Island placed next in the ranking, with the second-highest prevalence of underage drinking in the country. In the Ocean State, almost 22% of young people between the ages 12-20 consume alcohol monthly, which equates to 27,000 people in the state. Rhode Island also has the second highest rate of binge drinking in the country, with 12% of minors consuming four or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting.
New Hampshire ranks third when compared to other states. The study revealed that 30,000 young people in New Hampshire consumed alcohol in the month of the study, which equates to 20.6% of the state’s population between the ages 12-20.
Massachusetts ranks as the fourth state with the highest percentage of underage drinking, with 20.4%, while Oregon follows in fifth place with 20.1%. The top ten is rounded out by Iowa ranking sixth, Wisconsin in seventh, followed by Colorado, Maine, and North Dakota in eighth, ninth, and tenth,
respectively.
A spokesperson for Addiction Treatment Magazine commented on the findings: “It’s no secret that underage drinking is a major concern in the United States, as it can pose several significant risks to the well-being of young people, including health risks, impaired judgment, and the risk of dependency and addiction.”
“These findings provide an intriguing insight into where underage drinking is the most prominent throughout the country, with Vermont coming out on top. While progress has been made in reducing underage drinking rates, it is still a matter of concern, and ongoing efforts are necessary to address this issue and protect the health and safety of young people.”
| The top 10 states with the highest prevalence of drinking between the ages 12-20 | |||||
| Order | State | Alcohol use in past month (%) | Binge alcohol use in past month (%) | Alcohol use in past month (in thousands) | Binge alcohol use in past month (in thousands) |
| 1. | Vermont | 24.7% | 14.2% | 18,000 | 10,000 |
| 2. | Rhode Island | 21.9% | 12.2% | 27,000 | 15,000 |
| 3. | New Hampshire | 20.6% | 9.6% | 30,000 | 14,000 |
| 4. | Massachusetts | 20.4% | 10.8% | 169,000 | 89,000 |
| 5. | Oregon | 20.1% | 10.5% | 91,000 | 48,000 |
| 6. | Iowa | 19.3% | 9.4% | 79,000 | 39,000 |
| 7. | Wisconsin | 18.9% | 10.6% | 125,000 | 70,000 |
| 8. | Colorado | 18.4% | 11.1% | 127,000 | 76,000 |
| 9. | Maine | 18.3% | 8.1% | 25,000 | 11,000 |
| 10. | North Dakota | 18.2% | 11.7% | 17,000 | 11,000 |
