According to a nationwide survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), more than 40% of the estimated 10.8 million underage drinkers in the past month got their alcohol free from adults.
The study revealed that 6.4% of those drinkers, ages 12 to 20, were provided free alcohol by their own parents or guardians.
Risking Their Children's Health
"In far too many instances, parents directly enable their children's underage drinking — in essence, encouraging them to risk their health and well-being," said Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, MD, MPH, in a news release. "Proper parental guidance alone may not be the complete solution to this devastating public health problem, but it is a critical part."The SAMHSA survey asked young people, ages 12 to 20, about the nature and scope of their drinking behavior, and for the first time, asked about the social conditions under which they drink. The survey confirms an earlier study, which found that more than 1/3 of middle school students got their alcohol from their own parents or from a friend's parents or guardians.
"This report provides unprecedented insight in to the social context of this public health problem and shows that it cuts across many different parts of our community," said SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, PhD. "Its findings strongly indicate that parents and other adults can play an important role in helping influence — for better or for worse — young people's behavior with regard to underage drinking."
More Than Half Have Had a Drink
According to the SAMHSA report, these are some of the survey's significant findings:- More than half (53.9%) of all people ages 12 to 20 engaged in underage drinking in their lifetime, ranging from 11% of 12-year-olds to 85.5% of 20-year-olds.
- An average of 3.5 million people (9.4%), ages 12 to 20, meet the diagnostic criteria for having an alcohol-use disorder each year.
- About one in five people in this age group (7.2 million people) have engaged in binge drinking: consuming five or more drinks on at least one occasion in the past month.
- The vast majority of current underage drinkers (80.9%) reported being with two or more people the last time they drank. Those who were with two or more people consumed an average of 4.9 drinks on that occasion, compared with 3.1 drinks for those who were with another person and 2.9 drinks for those who were alone.
- Among youths, ages 12 to 14, the rate of current drinking was higher for females (7.7%) than males (6.3%) — about equal for females and males among those ages 15 to 17 (27.6% and 27.3%, respectively) and lower for females than males among those ages 18 to 20 (47.9% vs. 54.4%).
- More than half (53.4%) of underage current alcohol users were at someone else's home when they had their last drink, and 30.3% were in their own home; 9.4% were at a restaurant, bar or club.
- Rates of binge drinking are significantly higher among young people living with a parent who engaged in binge drinking within the past year.
Parents, Be a Positive Influence
More than 5,000 deaths a year are attributed to underage drinking in the United States. Parents and guardians of children ages 12 to 20 can have a great influence on their attitudes about drinking and substance abuse in general. As this study shows, that influence can be negative or positive.The study's findings are being incorporated in to the Underage Drinking Prevention campaign of the Office of the Surgeon General, SAMHSA and the Ad Council. The full report is available online.
Source:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Underage Alcohol Use: Findings from the 2002-2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health." June 2008.
