Teen binge drinking has significantly decreased in the past 10+ years in NH and VT. In 2007, about 26% of VT teens reported binge drinking within the past 30 days; declining steadily to 16% in 2015. Despite decreases, VT’s rate is higher than the national level of 13.5% in 2017. Among high school students, binge drinking increases with older age. Binge use of alcohol contributes to a wide range of injuries and other unintended consequences, and teens engaged in binge drinking may be at greater risk for more serious substance use disorders. Multiple strategies are used to reduce binge drinking and other forms of substance use, including community messaging to change norms and beliefs, policies and practices to reduce access to substances, and school programs to build resilience skills.
Data sources: VT Youth Risk Behavior Survey