Maine Facts
What you should know about teen alcohol use in our state
To support prevention efforts, the Office of Substance Abuse tracks alcohol use and abuse among adolescents in grades 7 through 12. In addition to the Maine Youth Drug and Alcohol Use Survey (MYDAUS), a random phone survey of parents across Maine asked what parents believed was happening in their households with regard to underage alcohol use.
Here are the facts:
7th Graders - approximately 12-13 yrs. old
19.9% lifetime use
9.0% past 30-day use
2.8% binge drinking
8th Graders - approximately 13-14 yrs. old
32.7% lifetime use
17.0% past 30-day use
6.5% binge drinking
9th Graders - approximately 14-15 yrs. old
45.9% lifetime use
25.4% past 30-day use
11.0% binge drinking
10th Graders - approximately 15-16 yrs. old
65.8% lifetime use
32.8% past 30-day use
15.9% binge drinking
11th Graders - approximately 16-17 yrs. old
63.7% lifetime use
37.6% past 30-day use
20.3% binge drinking
12 Graders - approximately 17-18 yrs. old
71.0% lifetime use
44.9% past 30-day use
26.2% binge drinking
What Maine parents believe is not what Maine teens say:
49% of Maine teens report that they have had more than a few sips of alcohol in their lives.
However, only 21% of Maine parents believe that their teen has had more than a few sips of alcohol.
28% of teens report they have been drinking in the past 30 days.
However, only 4% of Maine parents believe that their teen has been drinking in the month before the parent survey took place
14% of Maine teens report that they have been binge drinking within two weeks of the survey.
However, no (0%) parent said they thought that their teen had been binge drinking within two weeks of the survey.
79% of Maine parents believe that if their child drank alcohol without permission they would be caught.
However, 49% of Maine teens say they would not be caught by their parents if they drank alcohol without permission.
Full MYDAUS results
Maine Parents Survey
We need to find out more, do more to keep our teens from underage drinking.
Sources:
(1) 2008 MYDAUS/YTS survey of Maine 7th -12th grade students
(2) Maine Parent Survey, June 2008, Ethos Marketing & Design and Strategic Marketing Services
