A Look Behind the Numbers
Differences Among Age Groups
Ages 12-15
| Gender | Prevalence | Population | Kids with serious alcohol problems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 3% | 500 | 15 boys |
| Female | 3% | 500 | 15 girls |
Though fewer in number, young people with serious alcohol problems in this age group face the greatest difficulties. While only 20 percent of their peers report ever having been drunk by the time they reach Grade 8,1 these young people already need treatment.
Their lack of physical, intellectual and emotional maturity makes them far more vulnerable to the negative consequences of drinking than older teenagers, even those who also have serious alcohol problems. As a result, they are four times more likely than young people with serious Alcohol Problems in the 16- 17-year-old age group and five times more likely than those in the 18- 20-year-old age group to be involved in a fight serious enough to require emergency medical attention.
Although external indications of a serious alcohol problem may be evident at this age - such as getting into a fight or coming into contact with the juvenile justice system - diagnosis of an alcohol problem according to the criteria established by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for adults may be more difficult to make here because people in these age group, especially at the younger end, share more characteristics with children.
Ages 16-17
| Gender | Prevalence | Population | Kids with serious alcohol problems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 10% | 500 | 50 boys |
| Female | 9% | 500 | 45 girls |
Alcohol use is common among this age group: 35 percent of 10th graders say they have had a drink in the past month.2 Since drinking is so widespread, serious alcohol problems may be more easily overlooked as youthful experimentation or as a normal part of growing up.
With greater numbers of young people in this age group old enough to drive, more than twice as many with serious alcohol problems have driven under the influence of alcohol or other drugs than those with serious alcohol problems in the 12-15 year-old age group.
Ages 18-20
| Gender | Prevalence | Population | Kids with serious alcohol problems |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 10% | 500 | 50 boys |
| Female | 9% | 500 | 45 girls |
Several factors help explain why such a high percentage of young people in this age group have serious alcohol problems. Firstly, many more of them are drinking. By the time they are seniors in high school, three out of four young people have begun to experiment with alcohol and 58 percent report they have been drunk at least once in their lives.3 The greatest increase in alcohol consumption among young women occurs as they are making the transition from high school to college.4
Secondly, serious alcohol problems, which usually take a year or two to develop after a person first begins drinking, have had a longer period to incubate, thus facilitating their diagnosis. The American Psychological Association criteria for alcohol problems is also more relevant to this older age group.
Thirdly, there are more opportunities and greater social tolerance for young people in this age group to drink in ways that can result in serious alcohol problems, particularly among college students, many of whom are away from home for the first time. They consume greater quantities of alcohol on a single occasion: 40 percent say that they binge on alcohol (for young men this means drinking five or more drinks in a row; for young women, four or more drinks in a row).5 The amount and frequency of their consumption increases their risk for developing a serious alcohol problem.
Differences Between Genders
Male
Differences in patterns of alcohol use help explain why more young men than women have serious alcohol problems: young men tend to drink greater amounts of alcohol and to do so more often than young women.
Young men with serious alcohol problems are more likely than young women to have a conduct use disorder. As a result, boys with serious alcohol problems are more likely to behave aggressively or violently than girls with serious alcohol problems, which can lead to more frequent involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Female
Young women who drink develop serious alcohol problems more quickly and experience negative consequences earlier than young men even when they consume similar or smaller amounts of alcohol. Differences in female body chemistry and expectations about drinking may explain this "telescoping" effect.
Young women are more likely than young men to experience eating disorders, depression and sexual abuse, all of which are associated with serious alcohol problems.
One study indicates that young women who menstruate before the age of 12 face increased risks for developing serious alcohol problems and for developing serious alcohol problems with co-occurring disorders.
A sense of low self-esteem may be a more significant factor in the development of serious alcohol problems among young women than among young men.
Source: The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA). 2003. The Formative Years: Pathways to Substance Abuse Among Girls And Young Women Ages 8-22.
Differences Among Racial/Ethnic Groups
| Race/Ethnicity | Prevalence (Ages 12-20) |
Population | Total Kids with Serious Alcohol Problems |
|---|---|---|---|
| African American | 7% | 500 boys & girls | 35 kids |
| Hispanic | 11% | 500 boys & girls | 55 kids |
| Multiracial | 14% | 500 boys & girls | 70 kids |
| White | 14% | 500 boys & girls | 70 kids |
The figures in the shaded area above represent the prevalence of serious alcohol problems among people ages 12-20. The small sample size of people from other races and ethnicities in the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse prevents accurate statistical assessment in categories not included here.
Little research exists comparing among young people in various racial and ethnic groups. However, federal surveys do indicate general patterns of use.
African American Youth
Fewer African American youth drink than white or Hispanic youth. They also begin drinking and using other drugs at later ages.
Asian and Pacific Islander American Youth
Rates of alcohol use are generally lower in this group than in any other racial or ethnic category.
Hispanic American Youth
Hispanic youth use alcohol at rates similar to that of white youth. Hispanic males are more likely to begin drinking at a younger age and to drink more than females.
Native American Youth
Native Americans begin drinking alcohol at younger ages than any other group. They also drink more frequently and in greater amounts than non-Indian youth, and are more likely to use other drugs also. This pattern, established during adolescence, continues into young adulthood.
White Youth
White youth are more likely to use alcohol than any other group except Native Americans.
Source: Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. 1994. Treatment for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: Opportunities for Coordination. Technical Assistance Publication Series 11. US Department of Health and Human Services. Chapter 6: Ethnic & Racial Minority Populations.
Notes:
1 Institute for Social Research. 2003. Monitoring the Future Survey . University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research.
2 Institute for Social Research.
3 Institute for Social Research.
4 National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. 2003 . The Formative Years: Pathways to Substance Abuse Among Girls and Young Women Ages 8-22.
5 Harvard School of Public Health. 1999 College Alcohol Survey .
