CDC: Underage drinking declines to record low

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that underage drinking declined to record-low levels in 2013. America’s brewers and beer importers praised the findings and remain committed to further reducing teen drinking. The CDC reported that the percentage of high school students who reported that they currently drink alcohol declined 31 percent since 1991 to a record low. Furthermore, the percentage of high school students who reportedly drank five or more drinks of alcohol in a row declined 34 percent since 1991 to a record low.

“This CDC report is great news, but brewers and beer importers know there is more work to be done,” said Beer Institute Vice President Chris Thorne. “We are committed to our partners in schools, law enforcement and communities across the country to make even greater strides toward reducing underage drinking. Brewers are committed to responsibility, and we will continue our work through hundreds of local and national programs to discourage underage drinking.”

Another government study released in December 2013, the University of Michigan’s Monitoring the Future survey of 8th, 10th and 12th-graders’ drug and alcohol use, reported that alcohol use and binge drinking continued their long-term declines in 2013, reaching their lowest points in the history of the study.

Beer Institute members have invested in hundreds of programs and initiatives to support public safety, education and prevention, including those aimed at reducing underage drinking. Specifically, brewers and importers work with a diverse alliance of partners to produce and promote materials to help parents talk with teens, discourage alcohol sales to minors, and promote responsibility on college campuses. Beer Institute members are also proud supporters of the Federal Trade Commission’s “We Don’t Serve Teens” effort.

The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (YRBS) are conducted among representative samples of students in grades 9–12. National, state and large urban school district surveys have been conducted biennially since 1991.