1996
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse: Preliminary Results
70617 (48B) PRELIMINARY DATA - AS OF JUNE 1997
Table 24.Percentages Reporting Past Month "Binge" Alcohol
Use, by Age Group and Demographic Characteristics: 1995 and 1996
AGE GROUP (Years)
12-17
18-25
26-34
35 and Older
Total
Demographic
Characteristic
1995
1996
1995
1996
1995
1996
1995
1996
1995
1996
TOTAL
7.9
7.2
29.9
32.0
24.0
22.8
11.8
11.3
15.8
15.5
RACE/
ETHNICITY
White
8.9
8.0
34.2
37.0
26.7
25.4
11.9
11.1
16.6
16.1
Black
3.0
3.7
15.7
18.8
15.7
16.5
10.5
12.8
11.2
13.1
Hispanic
7.4
8.3
22.7
24.7
21.4
20.1
16.1
14.5
17.2
16.7
Other
8.7
3.0
27.0
18.6
10.3
6.6
*
5.5
9.7
7.5
SEX
Male
9.4
8.7
41.2
43.7
35.5
33.6
18.9
17.7
23.8
22.8
Female
6.2
5.6
18.9
20.6
13.0
12.4
5.5
5.8
8.5
8.7
POPULATION
DENSITY1
Large Metro
6.8
6.5
30.2
30.4
24.3
23.3
12.8
11.2
16.6
15.5
Small Metro
6.8
8.1
29.2a
34.4
25.9
23.6
11.6
11.6
15.9
16.0
Nonmetro
10.8b
7.0
30.3
31.3
20.6
20.3
10.2
11.2
14.3
14.6
REGION
Northeast
7.1
6.4
30.5
30.4
22.3
21.1
9.3
9.4
13.8
13.3
North Central
8.8
6.7
35.6
39.9
29.1
29.4
16.0
14.7
19.9
19.4
South
7.8
7.5
28.0
31.7
23.3
21.0
9.7
9.8
14.1
14.2
West
7.5
7.7
26.8
25.9
21.8
20.0
13.1
11.9
16.1
15.0
ADULT
EDUCATION2
<High School
N/A
N/A
27.3
30.2
27.0
24.8
9.6
8.8
14.9
14.5
High School Grad
N/A
N/A
27.8
29.3
24.0
23.5
13.1
12.0
17.2
16.5
Some College
N/A
N/A
32.8
33.0
22.3
21.5
13.5
11.9
19.4
18.0
College Graduate
N/A
N/A
32.0
39.1
24.1
22.0
10.4
12.0
15.2
16.5
CURRENT
EMPLOYMENT2
Full-time
N/A
N/A
34.9
37.9
27.4
26.1
16.2
15.9
21.5
21.3
Part-time
N/A
N/A
23.5a
28.7
16.4
17.6
11.1
6.1
15.5
14.6
Unemployed
N/A
N/A
32.8
35.3
27.9
29.6
23.4
20.3
27.2
26.6
Other3
N/A
N/A
24.5
21.3
13.2a
9.5
5.5
6.4
8.1
8.1
*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.
1Population density is based on 1990 MSA classifications
and their 1990 Census of Population counts.
2Data 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.
3Retired, disabled, homemaker, student, or "other."
aDifference between 1995 and 1996 is statistically significant
at the .05 level.
bDifference between 1995 and 1996 is statistically significant
at the .01 level.
Source: SAMHSA, Office of Applied Studies, National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse, 1995 and 1996.
