U Of I Teen Drinking Study: Illinois At 2X The National Average

Underage drinking has always been a problem, and when you look at the results of a new study by the University of Illinois, you can see that this particular problem is not going anywhere.

Before we delve into U of I's findings on the subject of underage drinking (ages 12-20), maybe knowing that Illinois does not lead the nation in it will make you feel a little bit better about things.

A study done in 2023 by addiction recovery resource Addiction Treatment Magazine looked at the number of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 who had consumed an alcoholic drink within the last month and had participated in binge-drinking, which is classified as consuming four or more drinks in one sitting. They determined the states with the most underage/binge drinkers were:

• Vermont: 25% of minors consumed alcohol, and over 14% binged
• Rhode Island: 22% of minors drank, and 12% binged
• New Hampshire: 20.6% of minors drank
• Massachusetts: 20.4% of minors drank

In A News Release, The University Of Illinois Says That Their Youth Survey Has Found Some "Troubling Trends"

According to U of I, alcohol use by Illinois teens was nearly double the national average, with 13.7% of Illinois students reporting they had consumed alcoholic drinks during the previous 30 days compared with 6.9% of those across the U.S.

Here are some more numbers from the study:

• 8% of 12th graders, 4% of 10th graders, and 1% of eighth graders reported binge drinking
• 10% of Illinois eighth graders reported they had received alcohol through home delivery services
• About 21% of eighth grade students as well as 28% and 39% of those in the 10th and 12th grades, said they drank alcohol or used marijuana, sniffed glue or gases, or smoked e-cigarettes or other vaping products
• 1% of those in the 8th or 10th grades and 2% of the high school seniors said they had used drugs such as ecstasy, crack/cocaine, heroin or hallucinogens/LSD
• 6% of the sophomores and 10% of the seniors said they had experienced blackouts, forgetting things they had done while drunk or high
• More than 90% of the survey participants overall said that their parents or guardians had talked with them in the past year about their use of alcohol, marijuana or tobacco, and more than 80% said that their families had clear rules about these activities

Click here to read the full study from the University of Illinois.