Rates of underage drinking in Vermont are consistently higher than the U.S.

“Young people who drink alcohol are more likely to engage in risky behaviors that can lead to injuries and other health conditions. They're also more likely to experience social, academic, and legal issues.”5

A special note about 2021 YRBS data: The data from the 2021 YRBS should be interpreted with caution as due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s YRBS was done in the fall instead of the usual spring timeline, meaning that students were overall younger when they completed the survey. In addition, students who participated in the 2021 YRBS may have had a different educational and social experience compared to previous participants. Disruptions, including remote learning, lack of social interactions and extracurricular activities, are likely reflected in the survey results.

Reference: 

National Survey on Drug Use and Health https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/NSDUH_VT_Detail_2018_2019.pdf

5) About Underage Drinking | Alcohol Use | CDC

The NEK PCE provides funding to two community coalitions, ONE Prevention Coalition based in Newport, and 302 Cares based in Wells River, to work on reducing underage drinking in the NEK. In addition, the Northeast Prevention Coalition based in St. Johnsbury is working on this goal through funding provided by the CDC's Drug Free Communities program.