View percent of users by age group
Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health 2004
Note: the minimum drinking age was set at 21 nationwide in 1985.
| Initiation of Alcohol Use Relative to Age 21 (1965 - 2002) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total | Under 21 | % of Total | 21 or Over | % of Total | Avg Age |
| 1965 | 3,261,000 | 2,677,000 | 82.1 | 584,000 | 17.9 | 17.4 |
| 1966 | 2,968,000 | 2,524,000 | 85.0 | 444,000 | 15.0 | 17.1 |
| 1967 | 3,604,000 | 3,099,000 | 86.0 | 505,000 | 14.0 | 17.2 |
| 1968 | 3,552,000 | 3,011,000 | 84.8 | 542,000 | 15.3 | 17.2 |
| 1969 | 3,893,000 | 3,276,000 | 84.2 | 616,000 | 15.8 | 17.1 |
| 1970 | 4,003,000 | 3,361,000 | 84.0 | 642,000 | 16.0 | 16.9 |
| 1971 | 3,922,000 | 3,314,000 | 84.5 | 609,000 | 15.5 | 16.8 |
| 1972 | 4,272,000 | 3,610,000 | 84.5 | 662,000 | 15.5 | 16.9 |
| 1973 | 4,072,000 | 3,648,000 | 89.6 | 424,000 | 10.4 | 16.5 |
| 1974 | 4,211,000 | 3,694,000 | 87.7 | 517,000 | 12.3 | 16.7 |
| 1975 | 3,919,000 | 3,449,000 | 88.0 | 470,000 | 12.0 | 16.6 |
| 1976 | 3,930,000 | 3,435,000 | 87.4 | 494,000 | 12.6 | 16.6 |
| 1977 | 4,130,000 | 3,678,000 | 89.1 | 452,000 | 10.9 | 16.4 |
| 1978 | 3,852,000 | 3,405,000 | 88.4 | 447,000 | 11.6 | 16.3 |
| 1979 | 3,993,000 | 3,518,000 | 88.1 | 476,000 | 11.9 | 16.5 |
| 1980 | 3,626,000 | 3,219,000 | 88.8 | 407,000 | 11.2 | 16.6 |
| 1981 | 3,606,000 | 3,210,000 | 89.0 | 396,000 | 11.0 | 16.7 |
| 1982 | 3,466,000 | 3,052,000 | 88.1 | 414,000 | 11.9 | 16.6 |
| 1983 | 3,289,000 | 2,865,000 | 87.1 | 424,000 | 12.9 | 16.5 |
| 1984 | 3,365,000 | 2,987,000 | 88.8 | 378,000 | 11.2 | 16.5 |
| 1985 | 3,263,000 | 2,846,000 | 87.2 | 417,000 | 12.8 | 16.7 |
| 1986 | 3,316,000 | 2,950,000 | 89.0 | 366,000 | 11.0 | 16.1 |
| 1987 | 3,119,000 | 2,698,000 | 86.5 | 422,000 | 13.5 | 16.7 |
| 1988 | 2,909,000 | 2,524,000 | 86.8 | 385,000 | 13.2 | 16.4 |
| 1989 | 3,195,000 | 2,734,000 | 85.6 | 461,000 | 14.4 | 16.7 |
| 1990 | 2,933,000 | 2,465,000 | 84.0 | 468,000 | 16.0 | 16.8 |
| 1991 | 2,890,000 | 2,446,000 | 84.6 | 444,000 | 15.4 | 16.6 |
| 1992 | 3,059,000 | 2,566,000 | 83.9 | 493,000 | 16.1 | 16.8 |
| 1993 | 3,190,000 | 2,767,000 | 86.7 | 423,000 | 13.3 | 16.4 |
| 1994 | 3,311,000 | 2,869,000 | 86.7 | 442,000 | 13.3 | 16.2 |
| 1995 | 3,299,000 | 2,847,000 | 86.3 | 451,000 | 13.7 | 16.5 |
| 1996 | 3,473,000 | 2,983,000 | 85.9 | 490,000 | 14.1 | 16.6 |
| 1997 | 3,668,000 | 3,220,000 | 87.8 | 448,000 | 12.2 | 16.3 |
| 1998 | 3,882,000 | 3,413,000 | 87.9 | 468,000 | 12.1 | 16.4 |
| 1999 | 4,072,000 | 3,561,000 | 87.5 | 511,000 | 12.5 | 16.5 |
| 2000 | 4,764,000 | 4,189,000 | 87.9 | 575,000 | 12.1 | 16.3 |
| 2001 | 4,906,000 | 4,347,000 | 88.6 | 559,000 | 11.4 | 16.3 |
| 2002 | 5,240,000 | 4,634,000 | 88.4 | 606,000 | 11.6 | 16.2 |
| Averages | 3,669,026 | 3,186,605 | 86.7 | 482,421 | 13.3 | 16.6 |