Alcohol Consumption Among Young Adults Ages 18–24 in the United States: Results from the 2001–2002 NESARC Survey

The high prevalence of drinking in young adults is a serious public health concern. Alcohol use among young adults often is associated with a wide variety of risky behaviors and both immediate and long-term negative consequences. The 2001–2002 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) presents a unique opportunity to examine young adult drinking because it has an excellent response rate, oversamples young adults ages 18–24, and includes college-related group housing. According to the NESARC data, in 2001–2002 over three-quarters of young adults ages 21–24 were current drinkers, as were nearly two-thirds of those ages 18–20, despite the fact that the legal drinking age is 21. More than half of young adult men exceeded the recommended daily drinking limit, as did two-fifths of young adult women. Although the prevalence of exceeding the daily limit is higher for those ages 21–24 than for those ages 18–20, it also is substantial for those ages 18–20. Because drinking more than the recommended per-occasion maximum is likely to impair mental and physical performance, the increase over the past decade in the prevalence among young adults of drinking five or more drinks 12 or more times per year may help explain the increased risk of injury and other acute negative consequences commonly observed among college students ages 18–24.