PDN Poll: 77.4 % YES, support drinking age of 21

K57 Poll:  77% YES, support drinking age of 21

• Underage drinkers are susceptible to immediate consequences of alcohol use, including blackouts, hangovers, and alcohol poisoning and are at elevated risk of neurodegeneration (particularly in regions of the brain responsible for learning and memory), impairments in functional brain activity, and the appearance of neurocognitive defects.  Heavy episodic or binge drinking impairs study hairs and erodes the development of transitional skills to adulthood.  (Zeigler, 2004)

• Teens who drink are significantly more likely to sell illegal drugs; 27.9% of 12-17 year olds who reported heavy use of alcohol reported selling illegal drugs in the past year, compared with 6.2% who reported using alcohol in the past month and only .8% of those who reported no use of alcohol in the past year. (SAMHSA, 2005)

• Teens who drink are significantly more likely to carry a handgun; 12.4% of 12-17 year olds who reported heavy use of alcohol reported carrying a handgun in the past year, compared with 4.7% who reported using alcohol in the past month and only 2.4% of those who reported no use of alcohol in the past year.  (SAMHSA, 2005)

• Among college students ages 18–24 from 1998 to 2001, alcohol-related unintentional injury deaths increased from nearly 1600 to more than 1700, an increase of 6% per college population.  (Hingson et al, 2005)

• Eighteen percent of US college students suffered from clinical significant alcohol-related problems in the past year, compared with 15 percent of their non-college-attending peers.  College students were also more likely to be diagnosed as alcohol abusers than their non-college-attending peers.  (Slutske, 2005)

• Six percent of college students have been diagnosed as alcohol dependent and nearly one-third of students would be given an alcohol abuse diagnosis under psychiatric criteria.  Forty-four percent of students reported at least one symptom of either abuse or dependence. (Knight, 2002)

• Each year, drinking by college students, ages 18-24, contributes to an estimated 1,700 student deaths, almost 600,000 injuries, almost 700,000 assaults, more than 90,000 sexual assaults, and 474,000 engaging in unprotected sex. In 2001, 2.8 million college students drove a car while under the influence of alcohol.  (Hingson et al, 2005)

• Among the 14 millions adults aged 21 or order who were classified as having past year alcohol dependence or abuse, more than 13 million (95 percent) had started using alcohol before age 21.  (SAMHSA, 2004)

• Underage alcohol use is more likely to kill young people than all illegal drugs combined. (Grunbaum et al, 2002) (Young et al, 2002)

• US purchase surveys show that 40 to 90 percent of outlets sell to underage buyers, and that this stems from low and inconsistent levels of enforcement against adults who sell or provide alcohol.  (Forster, et al, 1995) (Grube, 1997) (Wagenaar and Wolfson, 1995)

• 77 percent of high school seniors have used alcohol; in comparison, 53 percent have smoked cigarettes; 46 percent have used marijuana, and 8 percent have used cocaine. (Johnston, et al, 2005)

• In 2003, 5 percent of students in grades 9–12 had at least one drink of alcohol on school property in the 30 days prior to a national alcohol survey, and 45 percent of students had at least one drink somewhere. (DeVoe, et al, 2004)

• Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens and over one-third of teen traffic deaths are alcohol-related.  (NHTSA, 2004)

• In 2002 and 2003, 4.2 million people (21 percent) aged 16 to 20 reported DUI involving either alcohol or illicit drugs in the previous year.  Seventeen percent report DUI involving alcohol, fourteen percent reported DUI involving illicit drugs, and eight percent reported DUI involving alcohol and other drugs. (SAMHSA, 2004)

• Of the 4.2 million people aged 16 to 20 in 2002 and 2003 who reported DUI involving alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year, approximately four percent (169,000 people) indicated they had been arrested and booked for DUI.  (SAMHSA, 2004)

• Research studies have found that exposure to and liking of alcohol advertisements affect young people’s beliefs about drinking, intentions to drink, and actual drinking behavior. (Martin, et al, 2002)

• Forty-four percent of eighth graders have tried alcohol and 20 percent of eighth graders have been drunk at least once.  (Johnston, et al, 2005 )

• Eleven percent of eighth graders, 22 percent of tenth graders, and 29 percent of twelfth graders drank heavily (over five drinks in one sitting) in the two weeks preceding a national alcohol survey.  (Johnston, 2005 )

• Alcohol has been tried by 44 percent of eighth graders, 64 percent of tenth graders, and 77 percent of twelfth graders; active use is also widespread.  (Johnson, et al, 2005 )

• Over 94 percent of twelfth graders, 84 percent of tenth graders, and 65 percent of eighth graders report that alcohol is “very easy” or “fairly easy” to get. (Johnson et al, 2005 )

• The median age at which Americans begin drinking is 15.9 years old.  (SAMHSA, 2003)

• Only 31 percent of parents of 15- to 16-year-olds believe their child had a drink in the past year, compared to the 60 percent of teens in that age group who reported drinking. (Hart Research Associations, 2003)

• High school students who drank before the age of 13 years were highest among African Americans at 31.2 percent.  Among Hispanics, 30.2 percent drank before age 13 and, among Caucasians, 25.7 percent drank before age 13. (CDC, 2003)

• Over two out of every five of all college students are binge drinkers.  (SAMHSA, 2004) (Weschler, et al, 2002)

• In 2001, there were approximately 119,500 alcohol-related visits to the emergency department involving people under the age of 21.  (Elder, 2004)

• Over 6000 people died in 2002 from underage-drinking-related causes (alcohol-related traffic fatalities, homicides, suicides, and other unintentional injuries).  Over 2200 of these were alcohol-related traffic fatalities.  (Hingson and Kenkel, 2004)

• In a recent survey, Hispanic students (36.4 percent) were significantly more likely than Caucasian students (28.5 percent) to have ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.  Overall, 30.2 percent of students have ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. (CDC, 2003)

• A recent study reflected 12.9 percent of Caucasian high school students drove after drinking alcohol, compared to 11.7 percent for Hispanic and 9.1 percent for African Americans.  Overall, 12.1 percent of students have ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. (CDC, 2003)

• In a recent survey, Hispanic students (38.3 percent) were significantly more likely than Caucasian students (30.2 percent) to have ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol. (CDC, 2001)

• Parents' drinking behavior and favorable attitudes about drinking have been positively associated with adolescents' initiating and continuing drinking.  (NIAAA, 1997)

• People reporting first use of alcohol before age 15 were more than five times more likely to have past year alcohol dependence or abuse compared with people who first used alcohol at age 21 or older.  (SAMHSA, 2004)

• An early age of drinking onset is associated with alcohol-related violence not only among persons under age 21 but among adults as well. (Hingson et al, 2001)

• Approximately one fifth (22.9 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to an alcohol use survey. (SAMHSA, 2004)

• Approximately one fifth (22.9 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to an alcohol use survey. (SAMHSA, 2004)

• About 10.7 million people age 12 to 20 years reported current use of alcohol in 2001 - 28.8 percent of this age group for whom alcohol is an illicit substance. Of these, nearly 7.2 million or 19.3 percent were binge drinkers and 2.3 million or 6.2 percent were heavy drinkers. (SAMHSA, 2004)

• About 1 in 7 Americans aged 12 or older in 2002 (33.5 million persons) drove under the influence of alcohol at least once in the 12 months prior to the interview. Among young adults aged 18 to 25 years, 26.6 percent drove under the influence of alcohol. (SAMHSA, 2004)

• In 2003, 28 percent of the young male drivers involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 13 percent of the young female drivers involved in fatal crashes.  (NHTSA, 2004)

• In 2003, 25 percent of 15- to 20-year-old drivers killed in motor vehicle crashes had been drinking.  Nineteen percent were intoxicated.  (NHTSA, 2004)

• In 2003, 65 percent of young drivers (15 to 20 years old) of passenger vehicles involved in fatal crashes who had been drinking were unrestrained.  Of the young drivers who had been drinking and were killed, 74 percent were unrestrained.  (NHTSA, 2004)

• The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking in 2002 was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate occurring at age 21. The rate of binge drinking was 40.9 percent for young adults and 50.2 percent at age 21.  (SAMHSA, 2004)

• Drinking reduces the number of hours spent studying per day among college students.  Each additional drink per occasion is associated with fifteen minutes less studying per day. (Williams, Powell, and Wechsler, 2002)

• About 91 percent of all drinks consumed by teenagers are consumed by those who drink heavily. (Biglan, et al, 2003)

• As a result of their drinking, about 25 percent of college students report academic consequences, 11 percent report they have damaged property under the influence of alcohol, and 5 percent are involved with police or campus security. (NIAAA, 2002)

• Each additional drink consumed by college students per occasion increased the probability of missing a class by 8 percent and getting behind in school by 5 percent. (Williams, Powell, and Wechsler, 2002 )

• Each additional drink consumed by college students per occasion increased the probability of missing a class by 8 percent and getting behind in school by 5 percent. (Williams, Powell, and Wechsler, 2002 )

• Underage drinkers are responsible for between 10 and 20 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States. (NAS, 2003)

• Access to an unlimited amount of alcohol for a flat fee increases the number of drinks in a sitting by 1.6 drinks on average. (Powell, Williams, and Wechsler, 2002)

• Six percent of college have been diagnosed as alcohol dependent and nearly one-third of students who be given an alcohol abuse diagnosis under psychiatric criteria.  Forty-four percent of students reported at least one symptom of either abuse or dependence. (Knight, et al, 2002)

• The total cost attributable to the consequences of underage drinking was more than $53 billion per year in 1998 dollars. (Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, 1999)

• Research continues to show that young drivers between 15 and 20 years old are more often involved in alcohol-related crashes than any other comparable age group.  Alcohol-crash involvement rates, share of the alcohol-crash problem and alcohol-crash risk all reach their peaks with young drivers, with the peaks for fatal crashes occurring at age 21. (NHTSA, 2001) 

• Based on the latest mortality data available, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people from 15 to 20 years old. (NHTSA, 2003)  

• Teenagers are not well informed about alcohol's effects.  Nearly one-third of teens mistakenly believe that a 12-ounce can of beer contains less alcohol than a standard shot of distilled sprits.  (American Academy of Pediatrics, 1998)

• Students who attended schools with high rates of heavy drinking experienced a greater number of secondhand effects, including disruption of sleep or studies; property damage; and verbal, physical, or sexual violence. (Wechsler et al, 2002)

• A College Alcohol Survey of four colleges indicated that binge-drinking levels are associated with ease of access to alcohol, price, special promotions, and outlet density in college communities.  (Wechsler et al, 2002)

• Binge drinking has been defined as at least five drinks in a row for men and four drinks in a row for women. (Wechsler et al, 2002)

• High school binge drinking is a major predictor of binge drinking in college. (Wechsler et al, 2002)

• In 2001, approximately 44 percent of college students reported binge drinking, according to a college survey.  This percentage is almost identical to rates in three previous surveys.  (Wechsler et al, 2002)

• Findings from four studies have quantified the crash risk associated with teenage drivers transporting teenage passengers.   Collectively, these studies indicate that the presence of passengers strongly increases crash risk for teenage drivers; the more passengers the greater the risk. (Williams, December 2001)

• Each year, college students spend approximately $5.5 billion on alcohol- more than they spend on soft drinks, milk, juice, tea, coffee and books combined. (Drug Strategies, 1999)

• More than 40 percent of individuals who start drinking before the age of 13 will develop alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some point in their lives.  (Grant, B.F et al, 1997)  

• The highest prevalence of both binge and heavy drinking in 2000 was for young adults aged 18 to 25, with the peak rate occurring at age 21. (SAMHSA, 2000)

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