Survey: Utah Has Lowest Rate of Underage Drinking

Utah has the nation’s lowest rate of underage drinking, and it’s not even close.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health found 14.3 percent of Utah residents between the ages of 12 and 20 drank liquor in the previous month.

That’s much lower than the national underage drinking rate of 26.6 percent, and six percentage points behind the next-closest state – Tennessee.

Vermont had the highest rate of underage drinking, according to the survey. A full 37 percent of minors there reported drinking in the past month.

The survey also found about 3 percent of Utah minors who drink bought the alcohol themselves.

The report was released last week by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. It averaged survey data from 2008 to 2010.