SAFE GC Coalition: 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

Conducted annually, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides nationally representative data on the use of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs; substance use disorders among individuals aged 12 or older in the United States. NSDUH estimates allow researchers, clinicians, policymakers, prevention specialists and the public to better understand and improve the nation’s behavioral health.

According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 1.7 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 used alcohol in the past month, representing 6.6% of this age group. While alcohol use among young adults aged 18 to 25 decreased from 2021 to 2024, the rate of use remained stable for adolescents.

The following are the key findings from the 2024 NSDUH regarding youth alcohol use:

• Lifetime use: 5.5 million youth (21.3%) had consumed alcohol at some point in their lives.
• Past-year use: 4.2 million youth (16.4%) drank alcohol in the past year.
• Past-month use: 1.7 million youth (6.6%) reported drinking in the past month.
• Past-month binge drinking: 900,000 youth (3.5%) engaged in binge drinking in the past month, a rate that remained unchanged from 2021.
• Past-month heavy alcohol use: 98,000 youth (0.4%) reported heavy alcohol use in the past month.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) among youth

The 2024 NSDUH found that 775,000 youth aged 12 to 17 had an alcohol use disorder in the past year, representing 3.0% of adolescents.

Trends and demographic differences

• The percentage of adolescents who had alcohol use disorder declined from 2021 to 2024.
• Gender differences exist within the 12-to-17 age group, with a higher percentage of girls (7.4%) reporting past-month alcohol use compared to boys (5.9%).
• Among youth with substance use disorder, 93.3% of those not in treatment did not seek it or think they needed it.

Researchers attribute the stabilization in youth alcohol use to changing social norms, including less in-person social interaction and more online interactions, alongside increased awareness of health risks and a focus on healthier lifestyles. Other contributing factors include concerns about future aspirations and economic pressure, more restrictive parenting practices, and a potential displacement of alcohol by other substances like cannabis.

SAFE is the only alcohol and substance use prevention agency in Glen Cove whose mission is to eliminate alcohol and substance use in Glen Cove. Its Coalition is concerned about alcohol use in youth and is conducting a prevention awareness campaign entitled “Keeping Glen Cove SAFE” to educate and update the community regarding its negative consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or visit SAFE’s Underage Drinking Awareness Campaign page at www.safeglencove.org.