Press Room

An Estimated 709,000 Youths Age 12 to 14 Currently Drink Alcohol in the U.S.

(2/22/2011)

SAMHSA Press Office
February 17, 2011

A new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that 5.9 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 14 drank alcohol in the past month and that the vast majority of them (93.4 percent) received their alcohol for free the last time they drank. About 317,000 (44.8 percent) 12 to 14 year olds who drank in the past month received their alcohol for free from their family or at home. This includes 15.7 percent (or an estimated 111,000) who were provided alcohol for free by their parents or guardians.

Read the full Press Release: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/1102163049.aspx

Keywords: 709,000 youths, ages 12 to 14, drink alcohol, U.S.

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation.
SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.

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