Teen Drinking Study

High rates of drinking found among youth aged 12 to 20.
The Washington Post (4/1) The Checkup blog reported that although recent research shows that moderate consumption of alcohol by adults "can confer cardiovascular benefits," a new survey shows that over "a quarter (27.6 percent) of people aged 12 to 20 had consumed alcoholic beverages in the month before being questioned. The survey of 19,176 people in that age group, conducted from 2006 to 2008 by SAMSAH, also found that in some states, that number topped 40 percent." The data also revealed that the "District of Columbia had the highest percentage of young people -- 18.8 percent -- who'd bought their own booze the last time they drank. The national average was 8.6 percent." Notably, "SAMHSA, in cooperation with the Ad Council, has launched an updated version of their five-year-old public-service campaign to address the issue."