To view the methodology used for the Cost Analysis click here.

Tragic health, social, and economic problems result from the use of alcohol by youth. Underage drinking is a causal factor in a host of serious problems, including homicide, suicide, traumatic injury, drowning, burns, violent and property crime, high risk sex, fetal alcohol syndrome, alcohol poisoning, and need for treatment for alcohol abuse and dependence.

Problems and Costs Associated with Underage Drinking in the United States

Underage drinking cost the citizens of The United States $60.3 billion in 2005. These costs include medical care, work loss, and pain and suffering associated with the multiple problems resulting from the use of alcohol by youth¹. This translates to a cost of $2,094 per year for each youth in the nation. Excluding pain and suffering from these costs, the direct costs of underage drinking incurred through medical care and loss of work cost the United States $21.1 billion each year.

Youth violence and traffic crashes attributable to alcohol use by underage youth in the United States represent the largest costs for the nation. However, a host of other problems contribute substantially to the overall cost. Among teen mothers, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) alone costs the United States $1.1 billion.

Costs of Underage Drinking by Problem, the United States 2005

 Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence and are two and a half times more likely to become abusers of alcohol than those who begin drinking at age 21². In 2004, 65,902 youth 12- 20 years old were admitted for alcohol treatment in the United States, accounting for 9% of all treatment admissions for alcohol abuse in the nation³.

Alcohol Consumption by Youth in the United States

Underage drinking is widespread in the United States. Approximately 12.5 million underage youth drink each year. In 2005, according to self-reports by United States students in grades 9-12⁴:

• 74% had at least one drink of alcohol on one or more days during their life.
• 26% had their first drink of alcohol, other than a few sips, before age 13.
• 43% had at least one drink of alcohol on one or more occasion in the past 30 days.
• 26% had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row (i.e. binge drinking) in the past 30 days.
• 4% had at least one drink of alcohol on school property on one or more of the past 30 days.

In 2005, underage drinkers consumed 15.0% of all alcohol sold in the United States, totaling $19.8 billion in sales. These sales provided profits of $3.6 billion to the alcohol industry¹.

Total underage drinking costs $60.3 billion