Northeast > Resources > Topic Specific > Underage Drinking > Underage drinking in Connecticut

What does recent research data show about underage drinking in Connecticut?

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and conducted by States’ Departments of Education (not all states conducted the YRBS), surveys high school students throughout the nation on topics relating to risky behaviors. Results of the 2003 Connecticut Youth Risk Behavior Survey¹ show a decrease in the percent of youth who reported drinking alcohol ever in their lifetime, current use, and binge drinking, compared to results from the 1999 survey. Specifically, lifetime use decreased from 81 percent to 76.1, current use decreased from 50 percent to 47.9 percent, and binge drinking decreased from 28 percent to 27.2 percent.

The 2003 results also show that females were more likely to consume alcohol in all three categories. The differences between genders were as follows: 78.8 percent of females reported lifetime use compared to 73.0 percent of males, 50.3 percent of females reported current use compared to 44.8 percent of males, and 27.3 percent of females reported binge drinking compared to 26.9 of percent males.

In terms of differences among different ethnic group, results from the 1999 YRBS ² show that Caucasians and Hispanics were more likely to consume alcohol than African Americans and members of other ethnic groups. 85 percent of Hispanic students and 84 percent of Caucasian students reported having a drink of alcohol during their lifetime, compare to 67 percent of African American students (no data were available for members of other ethnic groups). In addition, 54 percent of Caucasian students and 51 percent of Hispanic students reported current use, compared to 40 and 41 percent of African American and members of other ethnic groups respectively. Finally, 31 percent of Caucasian students and 27 of Hispanic students reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, compared to 15 percent of African American students and 26 percent of students of other ethnic groups.

Source: Results from the Connecticut YRBS Survey for 2003 and 1999.

¹ 2003 data is unweighted.
² Data according to ethnic categories for 2003 is currently unavailable.

Other Related Resources:

• National underage drinking trends: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq53.cfm

• National underage drinking rate differences by geography, ethnicity, gender and age: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq52.cfm

Underage drinking rates by State:

• Delaware: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq42.cfm
  
• Maine: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq43.cfm
  
• Maryland: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq44.cfm
  
• Massachusetts: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq45.cfm
  
• New Hampshire: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq46.cfm
  
• New Jersey: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq47.cfm
  
• New York: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq48.cfm
  
• Pennsylvania: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq49.cfm
  
• Rhode Island: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq50.cfm
  
• Vermont: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq51.cfm

Please contact the Northeast CAPT at capt@edc.org for more information.