Northeast > Resources > Topic Specific > Underage Drinking > Underage drinking in New Jersey

What does recent research data show about underage drinking in New Jersey?

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. The 2003 New Jersey YRBS results reported that 77 percent of students drank at least once in their lifetime compared to 78 percent in 2001. 45 percent of students drank at least once in the previous 30 days compared to 47 percent in 2001, and 24 percent consumed five or more drinks in one occasion in the previous 30 days compared to 30 percent in 2001.

Females reported more lifetime alcohol use than males (78 percent versus 76 percent). Males, however, were more likely than females to be current drinkers (46 percent versus 44 percent) and to binge drink (26 percent versus 23 percent) in the past 30 days.

Caucasian students were more likely to be current alcohol users and to binge drink (52 percent and 30 percent respectively) than Hispanics (43 percent and 24 percent), African-Americans (30 percent and 11 percent), and members of other ethnic groups (31 percent and 14 percent). Hispanic students, however, were more likely to have had at least one drink in their lifetime (82 percent), followed by Caucasian students (80 percent), African-American students (73 percent), and other students (65 percent).

Source: Summary of the New Jersey 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. New Jersey Department of Education. http://www.state.nj.us/njded/students/yrbs/2003/njshsall.pdf.

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
  
• 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 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.