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

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

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. According to the Delaware’s 2003 YRBS results, 78.5 percent of interviewees (students in grades 9-12) had at least one drink in their lifetime, as opposed to 77.6 percent in 2001. The percentage of students who reported having at least one drink in the previous 30 days decreased from 46.4 to 45.4 percent. Finally, the percentage of students who reported binge drinking also slightly decreased from 27.3 to 26.6.

The YRBS results also show that, compared to males, females were slightly more likely to have had at least one drink in their lifetime (80.8 vs. 76.0 percent) and having a drink in the past 30 days (46.9 vs. 43.7 percent). However when it came to binge drinking, more males reported engaging in this behavior than females (29.3 vs. 23.9).

Caucasian and Hispanic students were more likely to have tried alcohol in their lifetime than African American students and students of other ethnic groups (82.5, 79.4, 69.9, and 69.2 percent respectively. Caucasians were more likely to engage in current drinking than their peers (52.6 percent compared to 36.2 percent of Hispanic students, 31.9 percent of African American students, and 35.7 percent of students of other ethnic groups). Caucasian students were also more likely to binge drink than their peers (33.9 percent compared to 22.6 percent of Hispanic students, 12.2 percent of African American students, and 19.0 percent of students of other ethnic groups)

Source: Delaware 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results.

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:

• Connecticut: http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/faq/faq41.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.