NIAAA Spectrum - Feature: Digital Health Technology Sh ows Promise for Efforts to Address Drinking Among Youth

Underage drinking and alcohol misuse by young adults are serious public health concerns in the United States. The 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 15.1% of people ages 12 to 20 and 50.2% of people ages 18 to 25 reported drinking alcohol in the past month, with 8.2% of 12- to 20-year-olds and 29.5% of 18- to 25-year-olds reporting binge drinking in the past month. Surveys also consistently find that young people are among the biggest users of the internet and mobile devices.

“There is an urgent need for innovative interventions to prevent alcohol misuse among our nation’s young people,” said National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Director George F. Koob, Ph.D. “Internet and mobile technologies have the potential to significantly expand our prevention efforts.”

In December 2023, NIAAA held a webinar, “Harnessing Technology and Social Media to Address Alcohol Misuse in Adolescents and Emerging Adults,” featuring NIAAA-supported research conducted by Maureen Walton, M.P.H., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan and Mai-Ly Steers, Ph.D., of Duquesne University.