2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey
3
CHAPTER 3
ALCOHOL USE
INTRODUCTION
Each year in the United States, approximately 100,000 deaths result from the misuse of alcohol (3a). Alcohol is a
major contributing factor in motor vehicle crashes, the leading cause of death and disability among young people
in the U.S. aged 15-20 years (3b). In 2003, 28% of Massachusetts youth reported riding with a driver who had
been drinking and 12% drove after they themselves had been drinking (3c).
Additionally, alcohol abuse has been linked with anxiety and depression, as well as suicidal thinking and behavior
(3d). According to the 2003 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey, high school students who reported
recent alcohol use were twice as likely as their peers who had not consumed alcohol to have attempted suicide in
the 12 months before the survey (3c). Heavy drinking among youth has also been linked to injury-related deaths,
including drowning; violent crime, including assault and forced sexual contact; physical fights; weapons carrying;
low academic achievement; early initiation of sexual intercourse; unprotected sexual intercourse; and illegal drug
use (3d, 3e, 3f, 3g, 3h, 3i).
Young persons who begin drinking before age 13 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and
twice as likely to develop alcohol abuse as those who begin drinking at age 21 (3j). Alcohol dependence or
alcoholism is estimated to affect one in 13 Americans (3k) and is a major cause of diseases such as cirrhosis of
the liver, pancreatitis, hemorrhagic stroke, and certain forms of cancer (3l).
According to youth reports, high school and college students drink alcohol with the goal of getting drunk (3m) and
often binge on alcohol, consuming five or more drinks in a row within a couple of hours. Alcohol poisoning is the
most serious immediate consequence of binge drinking, and is potentially fatal. Yet, according to the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2.6 million young people do not know that a person
can die from alcohol poisoning (3n).
In fact, in the past decade, there has been a decline in adolescents’ estimates of the risks involved in frequent or
heavy alcohol consumption (3o). Almost 40% of high school seniors perceive no great risk in consuming four to
five drinks nearly every day (3p). Instead, adolescents believe that the positive benefits of drinking (feeling good,
fitting in with peers) are more likely to occur than the negative effects of drinking (feeling sick, causing serious
health problems) (3q).
National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for the Year 2010 include reducing recent and
heavy alcohol use among adolescents, and increasing the average age at which adolescents first use alcohol by
at least one year (3e).
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2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey
KEY FINDINGS FROM THE 2005 MYRBS

Rates of current alcohol use and binge drinking have decreased significantly in the past decade, though
they have not changed in the past two years.

Early initiation of alcohol use decreased significantly from 1995 to 2005.

Male and female students were equally as likely in 2005 to report consuming alcohol and binge drinking
within the past month, although males initiated alcohol use at a younger age and were more likely to be
frequent binge drinkers.

Lifetime alcohol use, current alcohol use, and binge drinking increased with grade in school, while early
initiation of alcohol use was more common among students in younger grades.

The highest rates of past-month alcohol use and binge drinking were found among White students and
students of Other or Multiple Ethnicity.
RESULTS
LIFETIME ALCOHOL USE and EARLY INITIATION of ALCOHOL USE
In 2005, more than three-quarters (76%) of all high school students had consumed alcohol in their lifetimes
(i.e. lifetime alcohol use). This figure has not changed significantly over the past decade. (Figure 3a)
The rate of having had a first drink before the age 13 has declined significantly over the past ten years. In
2005, less than one-quarter (22%) of all high school students reported having had their first drink before age
13.
Female and male students were equally likely to have tried alcohol in their lifetimes, but males were more
likely than females to report having their first drink before the age of 13 (25% vs. 19%). (Figure 3b)
Asian adolescents were significantly less likely than other youth to have ever consumed alcohol. White
students were least likely and Black students were most likely to have had alcohol before age 13. (Figure
3c)
Older students (11th and 12th graders) were significantly more likely to report lifetime alcohol use than
younger students (9th and 10th graders). The reverse pattern appeared to be true of early initiation, with 9 th
grade students more likely than older students to report consuming alcohol before age 13. (Figure 3d)
Of all students who had ever had a drink of alcohol, those who had their first drink before age 13 were
significantly more likely than students who started drinking later in life to be current drinkers (73% vs. 63%),
binge drinkers (45% vs. 33%) and frequent binge drinkers (11% vs. 5%).
90
80
79.2
79.2
80.3
81.2
75.2
76.4
Figure 3a. Alcohol Use among Massachusetts High School Students, 1995 - 2005
50
31.1
30.8
29.5
27.9
25.2
22.0
Percent of Students
60
33.4
32.7
32.6
32.7
26.9
26.5
53.2
53.5
51.8
53.0
45.7
47.8
70
40
30
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003
2005
8.0
8.4
7.9
7.2
5.3
4.8
20
10
0
Lifetime alcohol use
Early initiation of
alcohol use (*)
(*) Statistically significant change from 1995 to 2005, p< .05
Alcohol Use
Current alcohol use (*)
Binge drinking (*)
Frequent binge drinking (*)
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2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey
(*) Statistically significant difference between male and female students, p < .05
Figure 3c. Alcohol Use among Massachusetts High School Students by
Race/Ethnicity, 2005
White
78.9
Asian
40
30
5.4
2.5
2.7
3.4
6.9
20
Other
29.0
14.3
20.7
16.4
25.8
50
20.2
29.0
27.7
23.7
28.8
Percent of Students
60
Hispanic
49.6
38.3
43.9
29.4
48.7
70
Black
56.0
80
78.0
69.8
74.9
90
10
0
Lifetime alcohol use (*)
Early intiation of
alcohol use (*)
Current alcohol use (*)
Binge drinking (*)
Frequent binge
drinking
(*)Statistically significant racial/ethnic differences, p< .05
CURRENT ALCOHOL USE AND BINGE DRINKING
Fewer than half (48%) of all students in 2005 had consumed an alcoholic drink in the 30 days before the
survey (i.e. current alcohol use). This represents a decline since 1995, but not a significant change in the
past two years.
About half (48%) of youth who reported any past-month alcohol consumption reported drinking on only one
or two occasions; however, 13% reported drinking on ten or more days.
Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row within a couple of hours. Twenty-seven
(27%) of all students reported at least one episode of binge drinking during the 30 days before the survey
and 5% reported six or more episodes, i.e. frequent binge drinking.
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2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey
Over half (56%) of students who reported any alcohol consumption in the past month also reported binge
drinking during that period.
Both any binge drinking and frequent binge drinking have dropped significantly since the mid 1990’s, but
have not changed within the past two years.
Males and females were statistically similar in their reports of any binge drinking within the past month,
though males were significantly more likely than females to report binge drinking on six or more occasions.
Freshmen (40%) were significantly less likely than seniors (54%) to report drinking in the month before the
survey. They were also least likely to report binge drinking in the past month.
White students reported the highest rate of current drinking and were significantly more likely than Black
students to report drinking in the 30 days before the survey (50% vs. 38%). White youth also had the highest
rates of binge drinking.
Of current drinkers, about half (48%) drank alcohol on only one or two of the 30 days before the survey.
Slightly more the one-quarter (26%) of current drinkers drank on six or more days during the 30-day period.
Drinking on school property at least once in the 30 days before the survey significantly decreased in the past
decade, from 7% in 1995 to 4% in 2005.
The majority of students who drank on school property (70%) did so on only one or two occasions in the 30day period. Nearly one in five (18%) did so on 6 or more days and 9% drank on school property on all 30
days before the survey.
82.6
10th Grade
11th Grade
8.2
5.0
2.6
10
4.0
33.6
32.3
25.4
12th Grade
17.5
20
17.7
30
16.2
27.7
40
46.1
39.8
50
23.9
Percent of Students
60
54.0
70
9th Grade
54.0
67.2
80
74.7
90
83.3
Figure 3d. Alcohol Use among Massachusetts High School Students by
Grade, 2005
0
Lifetime alcohol use (*)
Early intiation of
alcohol use (*)
Current alcohol use (*)
Binge drinking (*)
Frequent binge
drinking (*)
(*) Statistically significant grade level differences, p< .05
ALCOHOL USE AND OTHER RISK BEHAVIORS
Students who reported current alcohol use were significantly more likely than students who did not drink in
the month before the survey to report:



Alcohol Use
Lifetime drug use (73 % vs. 23%)
Current drug use (50% vs. 10%)
Lifetime sexual intercourse (63% vs. 28%)
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2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey






Recent sexual intercourse (50% vs. 20%)
Attempting suicide (8% vs. 4%)
Carrying a weapon (20% vs. 9%)
Being in a physical fight (39% vs. 18%)
Experiencing dating violence (13% vs. 6%)
Experiencing sexual contact against their will (14% vs. 6%)
ALCOHOL USE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
All measures of alcohol use were associated with significantly lower rates of academic achievement. In
particular:

Seventy-seven percent (77%) of those who reported having had their first drink before age 13
reported receiving mostly A’s, B’s or C’s (i.e. decent grades) in the previous year compared to 87%
of those either had their first drink after age 13 or have never had alcohol in their lifetime.

Eighty– three percent (83%) of current drinkers reported receiving decent grades in the previous
year compared to 86% of non-drinkers.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of frequent binge drinkers received mostly A’s, B’s or C’s in the year
before the survey compared to 85% of their peers

Seventy-four (74%) of students who reported having drank on school property reported receiving
decent grades as compared to 85% of those who did not.
PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR ALCOHOL USE
Lifetime alcohol use and current drinking was significantly less common among students who reported being
involved in volunteer work and/or community service, participating in extracurricular activities, having an
adult family member to talk to about things that were important to them, and believing there was at least one
teacher or other school staff member they could talk to if they had a problem. (Table 3)
Table 3: Significant Associations between Lifetime and Current Alcohol Use and Common Protective
Factors, 2005
Lifetime
Current
Alcohol Use
p-value
Alcohol Use
p-value
yes
73.3
44.6
Involved in volunteer work/community service
.000**
.002*
no
79.2
50.0
yes
72.6
44.1
Participating in extracurricular activities
.000**
.000**
no
80.4
51.2
Having an adult family member to talk to about yes
75.7
45.9
.023*
.000**
“things that are important to you”
no
80.1
54.5
Having a teacher/staff member to talk to about yes
75.5
46.8
.008*
.012*
a problem
no
80.5
52.3
(*) Statistically significant difference between groups, p<.05
(**) Statistically significant difference between groups, p<.01
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2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS
Certain groups of students were more likely than their peers to report having had at least one drink of alcohol
or at least one episode of binge drinking in the 30 days before the survey:

Homeless students were significantly more likely than students who lived at home with their
parents to report current alcohol use (70% vs. 46%) and binge drinking (48% vs. 25%).

Students in suburban school districts had the highest rate of current alcohol use (49% vs. 48%
in urban districts and 44% in rural districts) and binge drinking (28% vs. 25% in urban districts
and 26% in rural districts).

Sexual minority youth were significantly more likely than their peers to report drinking within the
past 30 days (68% vs. 47%) and binge drinking in the past 30 days (46% vs. 25%).
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The significant decreases in alcohol use behaviors over the past decade are encouraging, although no
changes in the past two years are statistically significant. However, the 2005 results also show that alcohol
continues to be the popular substance of choice among Massachusetts high school students; it is more
commonly used than tobacco, marijuana, or any illegal drug. In 2005, nearly half of all public high school
students in Massachusetts drank alcohol at least once in the month before the survey, and most of those
current drinkers engaged in binge drinking at least once in the same time period. Alcohol consumption
among youth – especially at the levels reported here – poses serious threats to health and safety, with
immediate consequences such as alcohol poisoning and motor vehicle accidents, and long-term morbidity
from alcohol dependence. In addition, alcohol use has been shown to be associated with violence, suicide,
substance use, and unsafe sexual activity.
These findings suggest the need for programs aimed to prevent the misuse of alcohol and that these
programs be integrated in comprehensive school health education. Further, school-based programs to
prevent underage drinking and to educate students about the health consequences of alcohol may be most
effective when combined with other community efforts aimed at prevention and treatment of alcohol and
other substance abuse. Finally, schools, parents, and communities should work together to limit
adolescents’ access to alcohol.
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2005 Massachusetts Youth Risk Behavior Survey
CHAPTER 3: REFERENCES
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3c. Massachusetts Department of Education (2004). 2003 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results. Malden,
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