Vermont leads the nation in underage binge drinking, according to research
New England has a lock on underage binge drinking, with Vermont leading the way with the highest rate in the country, according to research conducted by Addiction Treatment Magazine.
Rhode Island came in second place and Massachusetts had the fifth-highest rate in the nation.
The research compared all 50 states to each other, based on the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study examined the number of young people between the ages of 12 and 20 who had consumed an alcoholic drink over the last month and had engaged in binge drinking, classified as consuming four or more drinks in one sitting, according to a news release.
Vermont led the nation with more than 14% of minors engaging in binge drinking. Rhode Island placed second in the ranking with 12% of minors consuming four or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting. Massachusetts placed fifth with 10.8% of minors engaging in binge drinking. New Hampshire and Maine were also in the top 10 underage binge-drinking states, with 9.6% of minors and 8.1% of minors, respectively.
Vermont has the highest rate of overall underage alcohol use too, according to the study
Vermont also had the highest rate of underage alcohol use in the country, according to the research by Addiction Treatment Magazine, with nearly 25% of young people between 12 and 20 years old consuming alcohol, which equates to 18,000 young people. Again, Rhode Island ranked second in the nation for underage drinking, with almost 22% of young people between 12 and 20 years old consuming alcohol, which equates to 27,000 people in the state.
New Hampshire came in third place in underage alcohol use with 20.6% of young people drinking, equating to 30,000 people; and Massachusetts came in fourth place, with 20.4% of young people drinking, equating to 89,000 people. Maine ranked ninth in the nation for underage alcohol use with 18.3% of young people drinking, equating to 11,000 people.
A spokesperson for Addiction Treatment Magazine commented on the findings in a statement, saying, "It's no secret that underage drinking is a major concern in the United States, as it can pose several significant risks to the well-being of young people, including health risks, impaired judgment and the risk of dependency and addiction."
"While progress has been made in reducing underage drinking rates, it is still a matter of concern, and ongoing efforts are necessary to address this issue and protect the health and safety of young people," the spokesperson concluded.
Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosi@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDambrosioVT. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Vermont has underage binge drinking problem, highest in New England
