Alcohol consumption by youth in the United States

Although the minimum legal age to purchase alcohol is 21 in all U.S. states and most territories (see: National Minimum Drinking Age Act), the legal details for consumption vary greatly. Although some states prohibit alcohol usage for people under 18, the majority have exceptions that permit consumption.

Underage drinking has become an activity primarily done in secrecy. In what is known as pre-gaming or pre-partying, underage drinkers may hide their alcohol consumption by drinking quickly before they go out. Brittany Levine explained in her article "Pre-Gaming" in USA Today that "of all drinking events involving pre-partying, 80% involved additional drinking afterward," and that pre-partying is involved in approximately 45% of all drinking events.

According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), among those aged 12 to 20: 5.1 million males (25.7%) and 5.3 million females (28.4%) reported alcohol use in the past month. Binge drinking was reported by 2.9 million individuals (7.6%), and heavy alcohol use by 576,000 individuals (1.5%).

The 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) also reports:

  • Among youth aged 12 to 17, 1.7 million (6.6%) reported past-month alcohol use, including 783,000 males (5.9%) and 942,000 females (7.4%).
  • Past-month binge drinking was reported by 900,000 youth (3.5%), including 385,000 males (2.9%) and 515,000 females (4.1%).
  • Heavy alcohol use in the past month was reported by 98,000 youth (0.4%), including 44,000 males (0.3%) and 54,000 females (0.4%).
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