A data assessment reveals where underage drinking is the most prominent across the U.S. This analysis reveals that Vermont has the highest percentage of underage drinking in the U.S., with Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts also carrying some of the highest rates of underage drinking.
In contrast, Mississippi has the lowest rate of drinking between the ages of 12-20, followed by Utah and North Carolina.
Underage drinking puts children and young people at increased risk of harm. This includes raising the risk of serious health conditions including heart problems, high blood pressure and poor mental health.
The research has been conducted by the addiction recovery resource Addiction Treatment Magazine and it compares all 50 states based on the most recent data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The study examined the number of young people between the ages of 12-20 who had consumed an alcoholic drink over the last month and had engaged in binge drinking, which is classified as consuming four or more drinks in one sitting.

With the finding that Vermont has the highest rate of underage alcohol use, this is where nearly 25 percent of young people in Vermont aged between 12-20 indicate they had consumed alcohol, equating to 18,000 young people. The state also leads the nation in underage binge drinking, with over 14 percent of Vermont minors participating in binge drinking.
Rhode Island is placed next in the ranking, with the second-highest percentage of underage drinking. In the Ocean State, almost 22 percent of young people between the ages 12-20 consume alcohol monthly, which equates to 27,000 people in the state. Rhode Island also has the second highest rate of binge drinking in the country, with 12 percent of minors consuming four or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting.
New Hampshire ranks third when compared to other states. The study revealed that 30,000 young people in New Hampshire consumed alcohol in the month of the study, which equates to 20.6 percent of the state’s population between the ages 12-20.
The top ten are:
The top 10 states with the highest percentage of drinking between the ages 12-20 | |||||
Order | State | Alcohol use in past month (%) | Binge alcohol use in past month (%) | Alcohol use in past month (in thousands) | Binge alcohol use in past month (in thousands) |
1. | Vermont | 24.7% | 14.2% | 18,000 | 10,000 |
2. | Rhode Island | 21.9% | 12.2% | 27,000 | 15,000 |
3. | New Hampshire | 20.6% | 9.6% | 30,000 | 14,000 |
4. | Massachusetts | 20.4% | 10.8% | 169,000 | 89,000 |
5. | Oregon | 20.1% | 10.5% | 91,000 | 48,000 |
6. | Iowa | 19.3% | 9.4% | 79,000 | 39,000 |
7. | Wisconsin | 18.9% | 10.6% | 125,000 | 70,000 |
8. | Colorado | 18.4% | 11.1% | 127,000 | 76,000 |
9. | Maine | 18.3% | 8.1% | 25,000 | 11,000 |
10. | North Dakota | 18.2% | 11.7% | 17,000 | 11,000 |
At the other end of the scale, Mississippi has the lowest rate of underage drinking per population. Only 9.7 percent of Mississippi’s population aged between 12-20 regularly consume alcohol, which equates to 32,000 young people in the state. Similarly, the state has the lowest rate of binge drinking in the country, with 5.4 percent.
The study revealed that Utah has the second lowest proportion of underage drinking nationwide. Among people aged between 12-20, nearly 11% had consumed alcohol in the month of the study, and 6.8 percent had participated in binge drinking, classified as four or more alcoholic drinks in one sitting.
North Carolina places next in the ranking with the third lowest rate of underage drinking in the country. When broken down, there were a total of 125,000 underage drinkers in North Carolina during the month analysed, which equates to 11.3 percent of the state’s population.
A spokesperson for Addiction Treatment Magazine indicates in a statement sent to Digital Journal: “It’s no secret that underage drinking is a major concern in the United States, as it can pose several significant risks to the well-being of young people, including health risks, impaired judgment, and the risk of dependency and addiction.”
