1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Table 23. Percentages Reporting Past Month "Binge" Alcohol Use, by Age Group and Demographic Characteristics:  1997 and 1998  

	AGE GROUP (Years)
	12-17		18-25		26-34		35 and Older		Total
Demographic Characteristic	1997	1998	1997	1998	1997	1998	1997	1998	1997	1998
TOTAL	8.3	7.7	28.0a	31.7	23.1	22.0	11.7	11.9	15.3	15.6
RACE/ ETHNICITY
White, non-Hispanic	9.3	9.3	32.6a	37.6	26.4	23.7	11.9	12.1	16.3	16.5
Black, non-Hispanic	3.9	2.9	12.9	15.9	13.3	16.9	10.1	10.4	10.3	11.4
Hispanic	7.4	6.3	21.6	24.9	19.6	20.3	15.3	13.0	16.2	15.7
Other, non-Hispanic	8.0	3.4	24.3	14.7	10.0	15.4	3.3a	10.5	8.5	11.1
GENDER
Male	9.7	8.7	38.7	42.6	33.8	31.7	18.7	19.2	23.0	23.2
Female	6.8	6.6	17.0	20.5	12.5	12.5	5.4	5.6	8.1	8.6
POPULATION DENSITY1
Large Metro	8.9	6.7	27.0	27.1	22.2	22.3	11.8	11.6	15.4	14.8
Small Metro	8.1	7.8	28.2b	37.9	25.8a	19.7	11.1	12.5	15.3	16.8
Nonmetro	7.3	9.5	29.3	28.4	20.5	25.1	12.2	11.7	15.0	15.3
REGION
Northeast	8.3	8.3	23.9a	32.2	20.4	21.2	9.4	8.8	12.6	13.5
North Central	9.8	8.7	36.1	42.1	28.1	28.7	14.4	15.4	19.2	20.2
South	7.3	7.1	26.6	27.4	22.6	19.6	12.1	11.5	15.2	14.4
West	8.2	7.1	24.9	27.1	20.5	19.6	10.1	11.7	13.5	14.6
ADULT EDUCATION2
<High School	N/A	N/A	25.7	27.5	25.2	23.0	9.7	11.1	14.4	15.3
High School Grad	N/A	N/A	26.2	28.2	22.7	22.8	12.6	12.9	16.4	17.0
Some College	N/A	N/A	31.5	35.5	25.2a	18.8	10.9	11.4	17.9	17.7
College Graduate	N/A	N/A	27.7a	38.5	20.4	23.7	12.6	11.8	15.2	15.8
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT2
Full-time	N/A	N/A	31.2b	36.7	25.9	25.3	16.1	16.9	20.4	21.4
Part-time	N/A	N/A	24.7	30.0	20.3	14.5	10.0	9.6	16.2	15.8
Unemployed	N/A	N/A	26.4	26.2	30.3	23.6	18.7	20.4	23.5	22.7
Other3	N/A	N/A	24.7	24.9	9.1	8.9	5.4	5.3	7.6	7.7

*Low precision; no estimate reported.

N/A: Not applicable.

NOTE: "Binge" Alcohol Use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days. By "occasion" is meant at the same time or within a couple hours of each other. Heavy Alcohol Use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on each of five or more days in the past 30 days; all Heavy Alcohol Users are also "Binge" Alcohol Users.

¹ Population density is based on 1990 MSA classifications and their 1990 Census of Population counts.

² Data on adult education and current employment not shown for persons aged 12-17. Estimates for both adult education and current employment are for persons aged > 18.

³ Retired, disabled, homemaker, student, or "other."

^aDifference between 1997 and 1998 is statistically significant at the .05 level.

^bDifference between 1997 and 1998 is statistically significant at the .01 level.

Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1997 and 1998.

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SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.