In the United States, alcohol use continues to be the leading drug problem among youth, as it has been since the federal government began measuring youth drug use in 1975.
According to the latest data, 10.4 million or 27.5 percent of young people in the U.S., ages 12 to 20, reported drinking in the past month. Of those, 6.9 million (18.1%) reported that they engaged in binge
drinking (that is, drinking five or more drinks at one sitting and usually within two hours). Alcohol use is responsible for 4,600 deaths per year among young people under age 21.