New Nationwide Report Estimates that 40 Percent of Underage Drinkers Received Free Alcohol from Adults Over 21
More than 40 percent of the nation’s estimated 10.8 million underage current drinkers (persons aged 12 to 20 who drank in the past 30 days) were provided free alcohol by adults 21 or older, according to a nationwide report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released on June 26, 2008. The study also indicates that one in 16 underage drinkers (6.4 percent or 650,000) was given alcoholic beverages by their parents in the past month.

For the SAMHSA News Release containing the report's key findings and quotes from Acting Surgeon General Steven K. Galson, M.D., M.P.H, and SAMHSA Administrator Terry Cline, Ph.D. go to: http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/0806250013.aspx.

The complete SAMHSA report is available at: http://oas.samhsa.gov/underage2k8/toc.htm