Underage Drinking in New Mexico Fact Sheet US Acting Surgeon General Visit to New Mexico Sept. 25-26, 2007
#1. New Mexico, like most states, has a significant underage drinking problem. In 2005, more than a third of New Mexico 9th graders and roughly half of 11th and 12th graders reported drinking alcohol in the past month. Dangerous binge drinking -- drinking five or more drinks on a single occasion -- was the norm among these drinkers: 60% of 9th grade drinkers and more than 70% of 11th and 12th grade drinkers reported binge drinking in the past month. Underage drinking cuts across all demographic categories. Among New Mexico high school students there are no significant differences in drinking behavior between boys and girls or among different race/ethnic groups. (Sources: 2005 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey (YRRS); 2005 United States Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS); 2004-2005 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH))
- New Mexico ranks near the middle among states for current underage alcohol use.
- Past 30-day alcohol use prevalence
- 23rd (of 40 responding states) among high-school students. New Mexico – 42.3% vs. United States – 43.4% (2005 YRRS/YRBS)
- 31st (of 50 states) among 12-20 year-olds. New Mexico – 27.9% vs. United States – 28.5% (2004-2005 NSDUH
- Past 30-day binge drinking prevalence
- 14th (of 40 responding states) among high-school students. New Mexico – 28.6% vs. United States – 25.5% (2005 YRRS/YRBS)
- 27th (of 50 states) among 12-20 year-olds. New Mexico – 19.4% vs. United States – 19.2% (2004-2005 NSDUH)
- Past 30-day alcohol use prevalence
#2. Underage drinking poses grave immediate threats to the health of our young people. Alcohol consumption is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among young people and is strongly associated with many other life-altering risk behaviors such as unplanned pregnancy, academic failure, and DWI. Binge drinking is especially strongly associated with other risky behaviors. In the U.S. binge-drinking high school students are five times as likely as non-drinkers to have been pregnant or have gotten someone pregnant; four times as likely to have attempted suicide; and almost eleven times as likely to have ridden with a drinking driver. In New Mexico, binge drinking high school students are six times as likely as non-binge drinkers to have driven after drinking. Clearly, prevention of binge drinking should be a primary focus of our efforts to reduce harms associated with underage drinking. (Sources: Call to Action to Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking, 2007; Miller et al. Pediatrics. 2007;119:76-85.; New Mexico Department of Health/Substance Abuse Epidemiology Unit (NMDOH/SAEU))
- New Mexico has among the worst (top quintile) rates (deaths per 100,000 population) for each of the three leading causes of death among young people; a significant proportion of each of these causes of death is attributable to alcohol.
- Motor vehicle traffic crash death rate
- 6th (of 50 states) among 10-19 year-olds. New Mexico – 23.8 vs. United States – 14.8 (2002-2004 CDC Wonder)
- Suicide rate
- 3rd (of 50 states) among 10-19 year-olds. New Mexico – 11.0 vs. United States – 4.4 (2002-2004 CDC Wonder)
- Homicide rate
- 9th (of 50 states) among 10-19 year-olds. New Mexico – 6.5 vs. United States – 5.1 (2002-2004 CDC Wonder)
- Motor vehicle traffic crash death rate
#3. Underage drinking also increases the risk of chronic alcohol problems in adulthood.Research tells us that youth who begin to drink before the age of 15 are five times as likely to develop alcohol dependence or abuse as adults. In 2005, New Mexico had one of the highest rates of early underage drinking in the United States: 30% of New Mexico high school students reported having had their first drink before age 13. High rates of early initiation may help explain New Mexico’s persistently high rates of adult alcohol dependence, abuse, and alcohol-related chronic disease. Prevention of early underage drinking is another focus of our prevention efforts. (Sources: NSDUH Report, 2004; 2005 YRRS; NMDOH/SAEU)
- New Mexico ranks near the top (worst) for early underage alcohol use.
- Drank alcohol before age 13 years
- 5th (of 40 responding states) among high-school students. New Mexico – 30.0% vs. United States – 25.6% (2005 YRRS/YRBS
- 5th (of 40 responding states) among high-school students. New Mexico – 30.0% vs. United States – 25.6% (2005 YRRS/YRBS
- Drank alcohol before age 13 years
- New Mexico has among the highest rates of alcohol-related chronic disease death.
- Alcohol-related chronic disease death rate (deaths per 100,000 population)
- Highest average rate (of 50 states) during the period 1981-2004 Ranked 1st, 2nd, or 3rd throughout and 1st (worst) each year since 1999. New Mexico – 26.8 vs. United States – 15.0 (2002-2004)
- Alcohol-related chronic disease death rate (deaths per 100,000 population)
#4. New Mexico has taken important steps to address this problem. As the result of policy changes brought about by our legislature and our Governor, NM has one of the strongest underage sales/provision laws in the country. Since 2005 it has been a 4th degree felony to sell or give alcohol to minors in New Mexico. In 2006 the administrative penalties for sales and service to underage drinkers were significantly strengthened. In 2007, NM’s Attorney General joined other state AGs in a successful effort to remove new alcohol products specifically targeted to youth. State and local agencies are working harder than ever to enforce our strong laws, change community norms, implement environmental strategies, teach life-skills programs, and provide a variety of after-school and alternative activities for our youth.