Drinking Teens Eschewing Beer for Hard Liquor

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With the exception of Nebraska, liquor was the most popular type of alcohol consumed by boys, followed by beer. Beer was the most popular drink among boys in Nebraska, followed by liquor, the researchers found.

Among girls, liquor was the most popular drink in all four states, followed by malt beverages and beer.

As for binge drinking, the prevalence ranged from 28.6 percent in New Mexico to 32 percent of teens in Wyoming. Liquor was the most popular drink for binge drinking in all four states and among both boys and girls, except in Nebraska, where beer was preferred by boys.

"These data also underscore the need to continue the use of evidence-based strategies to reduce youth drinking," the MMWR editors wrote. "Previous studies have indicated that certain strategies are effective, including improved enforcement of minimum legal purchasing-age laws [e.g., through compliance checks in which minors or youthful-looking adults attempt to purchase alcohol from retail establishments] and increased alcohol excise taxes," they added.

The researchers suggested several reasons why hard liquor might be preferable to beer among teens, reasons that included the fact that it's easier to hide alcohol consumption by pouring it into a soft drink, and that the taste might be more palatable to beginning drinkers.

Another reason might be that the alcohol level is higher in liquor, so binge drinkers feel the effect of the alcohol faster, Garbutt said.

Garbutt believes the report confirms that "alcohol is one of our most misused and abused drugs."

Parents should educate their children about alcohol, Garbutt stressed. "Parents need to be aware of children's access to liquor in the home. Whether they want to keep it locked up or whether they want to monitor it, they need to educate their children about drinking," he said.

More information

For more information on teenage drinking, visit the National Library of Medicine.