New data marks the fifth year in a row that underage substance use—including underage drinking—is at or near record low levels.
Washington, DC—The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) just released the results of its annual Monitoring the Future Survey, which tracks long-term behaviors of substance use and related attitudes amongst 8th,10th, and 12th grade students.
According to the study, in 2025, for the fifth year in a row, the prevalence of underage drinking among America’s teens continues to trend down, keeping it at or near historic low levels. Lifetime, past year, and past 30-day consumption declined among 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students from 2024. The prevalence of binge drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row at least once during the past two weeks) is almost non-existent among 8th, and 10th graders, and less than one in ten 12th graders reporting engaging in this harmful behavior.
Overall, underage drinking rates continued a long-term decline among students in all three grades, although none of the one-year changes from 2024 to 2025 were statistically significant. The only noted increase was a 0.6 percentage point increase in 30-day consumption among high school seniors.
More specifically, the survey found the following:
- A record high number of teens report they have never consumed alcohol – 83% of students in 8th grade, 70% of 10th graders, and 51% of 12th graders. The longer-term trend over the past ten years shows lifetime consumption has declined 26%, proportionally, among 8th graders, 32% among 10th graders, and 21% among high school seniors.
- In 2025, past 30-day consumption remained at or near record low levels. Current drinking among teens declined among 8th and 10th grade students from 2024 to 2025. The longer-term trend over the past ten years shows declines of 41% proportionally among 8th graders, 48% among 10th graders, and 33% among 12th graders.
- Binge drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row at least once during the past two weeks) rates declined slightly – 0.1 percentage point at each grade level – reaching record low levels among students in all three grade level, in 2025 While the one-year change was not statistically significant, over the past ten years the prevalence of binge drinking is almost non-existent for the younger students – down 82% proportionally among 8th graders, 85% among 10th graders, and 44% among 12th graders.
- In 2025, prevalence of being drunk ever, or in the past 12 months, significantly decreased among 8th graders, while remaining relatively steady for 10th and 12th graders. “Being drunk” has been in a long-term decline among all three grades for lifetime, past 12-month, and past 30-day measures, consistent with the overall decline in alcohol consumption among youth.
- Abstention, as indicated by no use of alcohol, marijuana, or nicotine (cigarettes or vaping) remained stable from 2024 to 2025, with 91% of 8th graders, 82% of 10th graders, and 66% of 12th graders reporting abstaining in the past 30 days. Additionally, lifetime abstention followed the same trend, although at lower overall levels.
The 2025 study results show continuing and gradual progress being made toward eliminating underage drinking across the country, and this work will continue to be done until it is a thing of the past.
“This new data is a testament to the resources and materials Responsibility.org creates to keep kids safe and alcohol-free. I’m proud we are able to continue to confidently state most kids don’t drink and that underage drinking is not a rite of passage. Kids are making smart decisions, and parents are doing a great job in starting conversations and modeling responsible behaviors,” said Leslie Kimball, Executive Director of Responsibility.org. “Delaying the onset of alcohol consumption in kids is a key factor in keeping them safe. I’m personally and professionally dedicated to making sure parents and caregivers continue to empower kids to make informed, responsible choices.”
Responsibility.org’s science-based educational programs, such as Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix and Alcohol101+, work to ensure that parents and educators have the tools and resources they need to start and continue conversations about the dangers of underage drinking and binge drinking. In addition, nationally supported campaigns such as We Don’t Serve Teens bring together communities, businesses, and families to keep alcohol out of the hands of everyone under the legal drinking age. These efforts have helped bring attention to critical issues in keeping kids alcohol-free and shaping their attitudes and perceptions about alcohol.
Responsibility.org credits the progress noted in the Monitoring the Future study toward the elimination of underage drinking to a wide variety of partners who support these efforts, model responsible practices, and champion prevention education. Among them are the Association of Middle Level Educators, Classroom Champions, Discovery Education, the Society for Health and Physical Education (SHAPE America), the Association for Student Conduct Administration, the Association of Fraternity and Sorority Advisors, and the Responsibility.org team of social media parent influencers, among many other dedicated advocates.
The full 2025 Monitoring the Future survey results are available here.
