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Age Youth First Drink

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Percent of Students Reporting That They First Had More than a Few Sips of Alcohol at Age 13 or Younger, All Available Years: by Grade, Gender, and County

20132016
FemaleMaleTotalFemaleMaleTotal
Minnesota11th16.2%20.0%18.1%13.3%16.7%15.0%
9th23.1%25.2%24.1%18.1%18.3%18.2%
All Grades19.9%22.7%21.3%15.9%17.6%16.7%
Aitkin County11th32.1%39.6%35.6%20.8%40.7%31.4%
9th43.8%55.9%49.6%23.7%37.0%29.5%
All Grades38.3%48.6%43.2%22.4%39.0%30.4%
Anoka County11th15.2%17.8%16.4%11.6%14.8%13.2%
9th23.9%22.5%23.2%18.2%16.3%17.3%
All Grades20.4%20.6%20.5%15.3%15.6%15.4%
Becker County11th16.0%17.4%16.7%13.0%17.0%15.0%
9th14.9%28.9%22.6%18.0%21.3%19.6%
All Grades15.4%24.0%20.0%15.7%19.2%17.4%
Beltrami County11th22.4%24.8%23.6%12.9%18.4%15.7%
9th31.3%26.9%29.1%28.5%27.9%28.2%
All Grades27.2%26.0%26.6%21.6%23.8%22.7%
Benton County11th20.4%23.2%21.7%17.6%20.6%18.9%
9th23.7%35.3%29.5%22.5%27.6%25.1%
All Grades22.2%30.2%26.1%20.6%25.4%22.9%
Big Stone County11th21.2%20.5%20.8%***
9th33.3%33.3%33.3%***
All Grades27.0%26.0%26.4%***
Blue Earth County11th13.9%12.8%13.4%7.2%13.3%10.4%
9th21.9%24.0%23.0%13.3%14.1%13.7%
All Grades18.2%19.4%18.8%10.5%13.7%12.1%
Brown County11th17.9%27.3%22.7%20.7%25.0%22.8%
9th29.0%33.0%31.0%22.9%30.8%27.1%
All Grades23.6%30.1%26.9%21.9%28.4%25.3%
Carlton County11th19.4%20.3%19.8%13.0%27.8%20.2%
9th23.5%25.4%24.4%23.0%22.3%22.6%
All Grades21.6%23.0%22.3%18.2%24.7%21.5%
Carver County11th17.7%22.0%19.8%11.0%19.8%15.7%
9th20.1%23.7%21.8%13.6%19.4%16.5%
All Grades19.0%22.9%20.9%12.7%19.6%16.2%
Cass County11th41.5%31.9%36.6%29.1%22.8%25.9%
9th34.5%42.6%38.9%34.2%23.2%28.5%
All Grades38.2%37.2%37.7%32.1%23.0%27.5%
Chippewa County11thN/AN/AN/A***
9thN/AN/AN/A***
All GradesN/AN/AN/A***
Chisago County11th21.7%28.4%24.9%***
9th29.9%31.1%30.5%***
All Grades25.9%29.9%27.9%***
Clay County11th13.9%14.3%14.1%14.8%13.7%14.2%
9th21.4%16.5%19.0%16.9%16.3%16.6%
All Grades17.6%15.5%16.6%15.9%15.1%15.4%
Clearwater County11th24.1%40.7%32.1%21.9%33.3%27.9%
9th39.5%38.9%39.1%23.3%21.0%21.9%
All Grades32.8%39.5%36.5%22.7%25.5%24.3%
Cook County11th10.0%43.8%30.8%***
9th23.8%47.6%35.7%***
All Grades19.4%45.9%33.8%***
Cottonwood County11th8.6%10.3%9.7%20.9%32.0%26.9%
9th23.3%35.3%29.8%28.3%20.8%24.5%
All Grades16.7%22.0%19.8%24.7%26.5%25.7%
Crow Wing County11th12.3%29.9%21.2%***
9th19.5%32.0%25.3%***
All Grades16.4%31.0%23.5%***
Dakota County11th14.1%16.2%15.2%11.5%14.0%12.8%
9th20.8%20.9%20.8%15.7%15.6%15.7%
All Grades17.3%18.5%17.9%13.9%14.9%14.4%
Dodge County11th16.7%23.7%20.0%14.6%17.8%16.0%
9th18.7%36.5%27.2%9.6%14.9%12.1%
All Grades17.8%31.1%24.1%11.8%16.0%13.7%
Douglas County11th15.8%30.8%22.3%16.3%22.2%19.5%
9th26.4%22.0%24.1%18.0%23.8%20.9%
All Grades20.6%26.0%23.2%17.2%23.1%20.2%
Faribault County11th27.5%21.0%23.9%9.3%26.8%18.2%
9th18.8%19.7%19.3%25.0%34.5%30.3%
All Grades22.5%20.3%21.4%16.3%30.6%23.9%
Fillmore County11th13.0%14.3%13.8%23.4%38.7%31.0%
9th38.2%43.6%40.9%18.3%25.4%21.6%
All Grades26.7%28.0%27.4%20.7%32.0%26.2%
Freeborn County11th20.0%27.4%24.1%13.6%13.6%13.6%
9th26.3%28.2%27.1%20.4%30.0%25.4%
All Grades23.9%27.8%25.7%17.1%22.7%19.9%
Goodhue County11th16.3%22.2%19.5%15.4%23.5%18.8%
9th35.2%32.6%33.9%26.7%27.8%27.3%
All Grades24.9%26.5%25.8%20.5%26.0%23.1%
Grant County11th16.1%14.8%15.5%19.0%27.8%24.6%
9th42.9%40.7%41.9%6.5%38.2%23.1%
All Grades30.3%27.8%29.2%11.5%32.9%23.8%
Hennepin County11th12.5%14.7%13.6%12.5%14.2%13.3%
9th18.3%18.7%18.5%13.3%11.9%12.6%
All Grades15.6%16.7%16.1%12.9%12.9%12.9%
Houston County11th12.5%26.4%20.3%7.5%17.7%12.0%
9th18.9%33.3%25.8%19.8%29.5%25.3%
All Grades15.7%29.3%22.8%13.7%25.1%19.5%
Hubbard County11th29.2%26.8%27.9%19.4%28.2%23.8%
9th31.9%49.1%39.3%27.3%47.2%36.3%
All Grades30.6%36.3%33.3%23.8%37.8%30.4%
Isanti County11th20.2%20.5%20.3%28.4%27.0%27.7%
9th24.7%32.4%28.5%32.6%30.7%31.7%
All Grades22.9%28.1%25.4%30.6%28.9%29.8%
Itasca County11th27.0%31.4%29.0%14.8%20.3%17.9%
9th32.5%37.6%35.1%25.5%26.0%25.7%
All Grades30.2%35.3%32.6%21.6%23.4%22.5%
Jackson County11th9.3%35.2%22.2%5.1%30.0%15.9%
9th15.6%29.8%23.5%22.7%29.3%25.9%
All Grades12.1%32.4%22.9%14.5%29.6%21.4%
Kanabec County11th38.8%30.8%34.2%24.1%21.1%22.5%
9th27.1%41.4%33.6%23.2%17.9%20.4%
All Grades31.9%35.8%33.9%23.6%19.5%21.4%
Kandiyohi County11th14.3%24.4%20.1%13.0%16.3%14.8%
9th12.8%22.4%17.5%17.4%23.8%20.7%
All Grades13.4%23.4%18.7%15.6%20.4%18.2%
Kittson County11th21.1%40.0%30.8%7.1%5.3%6.4%
9th35.5%29.6%32.8%22.2%25.0%23.5%
All Grades30.0%34.0%32.0%13.0%14.3%13.6%
Koochiching County11th34.8%35.7%35.3%***
9th29.4%61.8%45.6%***
All Grades31.6%50.0%41.2%***
Lac Qui Parle County11th11.8%28.6%19.4%3.1%14.3%9.0%
9th18.9%22.7%21.0%16.2%16.7%16.4%
All Grades15.5%25.0%20.3%10.1%15.5%12.9%
Lake County11th10.0%28.2%22.0%***
9th33.9%20.6%29.2%***
All Grades28.0%24.7%26.5%***
Lake of the Woods County11th17.6%15.4%16.7%***
9th36.4%54.5%45.5%***
All Grades25.0%33.3%28.8%***
Le Sueur County11th24.7%30.7%28.0%20.7%20.0%20.4%
9th26.1%20.8%23.4%21.7%24.1%22.9%
All Grades25.5%25.6%25.6%21.2%22.4%21.8%
Lincoln County11th30.4%36.8%33.3%***
9th46.7%34.8%39.5%***
All Grades36.8%35.7%36.3%***
Lyon County11th6.3%21.6%13.6%11.0%14.6%12.7%
9th24.6%31.7%28.2%13.5%22.6%18.1%
All Grades16.2%27.4%21.8%12.4%19.5%15.9%
McLeod County11th45.5%35.7%40.0%***
9th22.2%33.3%27.8%***
All Grades35.0%34.8%34.9%***
Mahnomen County11th32.0%47.6%39.1%10.5%37.9%27.1%
9th41.4%43.6%42.6%51.7%32.4%41.3%
All Grades37.0%45.0%41.2%35.4%34.9%35.1%
Marshall County11th23.3%23.1%23.2%7.1%25.0%17.2%
9th22.2%31.7%26.3%17.9%15.6%16.9%
All Grades22.7%26.9%24.7%13.4%20.6%17.0%
Martin County11th21.5%29.7%25.5%***
9th31.4%26.6%28.9%***
All Grades27.1%27.9%27.5%***
Meeker County11th30.0%21.7%25.6%15.0%12.7%13.9%
9th32.0%28.7%30.2%18.6%19.3%19.0%
All Grades31.3%26.1%28.5%17.0%16.8%16.9%
Mille Lacs County11th26.6%28.8%27.7%15.4%19.9%17.6%
9th35.1%33.7%34.3%23.8%39.2%31.0%
All Grades31.1%31.5%31.3%20.1%30.1%24.9%
Morrison County11th20.5%31.5%25.9%18.7%22.8%20.6%
9th33.9%36.9%35.4%26.8%28.7%27.8%
All Grades28.1%34.7%31.4%22.9%26.2%24.6%
Mower County11th20.2%28.3%24.6%13.0%14.5%13.8%
9th29.7%25.0%27.6%21.9%22.3%22.1%
All Grades25.7%26.7%26.2%18.1%19.0%18.6%
Murray County11th15.8%24.1%19.4%16.2%24.3%20.3%
9th17.6%27.8%22.9%5.7%36.6%22.4%
All Grades16.7%26.2%21.2%11.1%30.8%21.3%
Nicollet County11th16.3%23.6%20.2%***
9th12.7%14.5%13.7%***
All Grades14.4%18.8%16.7%***
Nobles County11th12.5%20.0%16.1%11.0%20.5%15.6%
9th22.0%26.8%24.3%17.3%19.4%18.5%
All Grades18.0%24.0%20.9%14.0%19.9%17.2%
Norman County11th23.3%16.7%20.0%10.7%8.7%9.8%
9th34.2%22.2%28.4%35.5%20.0%27.9%
All Grades29.4%19.7%24.6%23.7%15.1%19.6%
Olmsted County11th13.5%26.4%20.9%11.6%15.9%13.8%
9th16.3%25.8%21.1%16.1%16.0%16.1%
All Grades15.2%26.1%21.0%14.2%16.0%15.0%
Otter Tail County11th16.2%23.7%20.0%19.9%21.8%20.9%
9th23.4%27.7%25.6%21.0%22.4%21.7%
All Grades20.2%25.9%23.1%20.5%22.1%21.3%
Pennington County11th17.4%17.3%17.3%***
9th24.3%25.7%25.0%***
All Grades21.6%22.2%21.9%***
Pine County11th32.4%40.4%36.4%29.3%23.2%26.0%
9th39.9%37.6%38.8%28.8%28.6%28.7%
All Grades36.6%39.0%37.7%29.0%26.2%27.5%
Pipestone County11th9.1%23.3%15.9%***
9th18.2%35.5%26.6%***
All Grades13.6%29.5%21.3%***
Polk County11th15.7%20.5%18.3%17.3%23.9%20.2%
9th21.1%26.6%23.6%19.9%15.3%17.4%
All Grades18.8%23.5%21.2%18.6%18.7%18.7%
Pope County11th14.3%25.0%19.4%8.3%13.5%11.5%
9th25.8%15.6%19.7%20.0%16.7%18.2%
All Grades19.7%19.5%19.6%14.3%14.9%14.7%
Ramsey County11th14.8%19.4%17.1%12.6%15.9%14.2%
9th23.5%23.2%23.4%18.7%16.1%17.5%
All Grades19.4%21.4%20.4%15.8%16.0%15.9%
Red Lake County11th8.0%21.7%14.6%34.8%36.8%35.7%
9th40.7%40.6%40.7%23.8%13.0%18.2%
All Grades25.0%32.7%29.0%29.5%23.8%26.7%
Redwood County11th30.6%26.7%28.4%25.0%25.4%25.2%
9th34.6%34.8%34.7%27.3%27.4%27.3%
All Grades32.7%31.0%31.7%26.3%26.4%26.4%
Renville County11th3.2%20.8%10.9%14.1%13.2%13.7%
9th19.4%26.5%22.9%13.0%11.9%12.5%
All Grades11.9%24.1%17.6%13.6%12.5%13.1%
Rice County11th10.3%12.8%11.5%10.6%9.5%10.1%
9th22.5%24.4%23.5%12.3%17.5%14.9%
All Grades16.8%19.4%18.1%11.5%13.9%12.7%
Rock County11th17.6%10.5%13.9%***
9th22.5%13.5%18.2%***
All Grades20.3%12.0%16.1%***
Roseau County11th18.3%26.6%22.7%8.9%22.2%17.1%
9th19.3%33.3%26.2%16.7%26.6%21.9%
All Grades18.8%30.0%24.5%14.0%24.7%20.0%
St. Louis County11th19.5%25.5%22.3%15.5%18.7%17.1%
9th25.7%29.3%27.4%21.0%21.2%21.1%
All Grades22.9%27.7%25.2%18.7%20.1%19.4%
Scott County11th18.1%15.9%17.0%11.1%12.6%11.8%
9th19.8%22.9%21.4%18.6%17.1%17.8%
All Grades19.0%19.5%19.3%15.1%15.1%15.1%
Sherburne County11th17.9%20.1%19.1%14.8%15.7%15.2%
9th19.4%27.1%23.1%22.0%18.9%20.5%
All Grades18.7%23.7%21.2%18.5%17.3%17.9%
Sibley County11th20.0%27.1%23.3%25.4%25.6%25.5%
9th30.4%40.3%35.9%28.1%34.7%31.1%
All Grades25.2%35.0%30.3%26.7%30.4%28.4%
Stearns County11th19.0%23.1%21.0%12.3%14.8%13.6%
9th27.2%26.5%26.8%14.6%17.9%16.3%
All Grades23.2%24.9%24.0%13.6%16.6%15.1%
Steele County11th19.7%16.6%18.2%14.3%17.5%15.8%
9th22.3%29.9%25.9%18.9%17.9%18.4%
All Grades21.0%23.3%22.1%16.5%17.7%17.1%
Stevens County11th0.0%11.8%5.1%9.3%29.0%17.6%
9th12.1%29.2%22.2%21.2%16.7%18.7%
All Grades7.3%24.6%16.7%14.5%21.9%18.1%
Swift County11th8.0%23.7%17.5%***
9th25.0%30.8%27.8%***
All Grades17.0%26.6%22.2%***
Todd County11th27.4%26.0%26.8%19.8%25.0%22.5%
9th40.2%47.7%43.4%29.9%30.6%30.3%
All Grades33.9%37.4%35.4%24.7%27.8%26.3%
Traverse County11th27.8%0.0%19.2%***
9th27.3%16.7%21.7%***
All Grades27.6%10.0%20.4%***
Wabasha County11th19.2%18.2%18.7%11.5%24.3%17.5%
9th26.5%31.8%28.9%25.3%25.9%25.6%
All Grades22.1%23.6%22.8%19.2%25.2%22.0%
Wadena County11th27.1%28.3%27.7%12.8%19.7%15.8%
9th33.0%25.0%29.6%19.7%28.8%23.8%
All Grades30.4%26.6%28.7%16.1%24.2%19.7%
Waseca County11th15.3%18.8%17.0%6.1%21.3%13.6%
9th20.7%31.6%26.6%16.3%21.9%19.2%
All Grades18.0%25.7%21.9%11.7%21.6%16.7%
Washington County11th13.2%19.1%16.1%10.6%14.0%12.2%
9th19.4%23.5%21.4%17.7%16.2%17.0%
All Grades16.3%21.3%18.8%14.5%15.2%14.8%
Watonwan County11th17.6%15.9%16.7%18.5%20.0%19.2%
9th28.6%32.4%30.3%34.8%32.3%33.6%
All Grades23.7%23.1%23.4%27.5%27.0%27.2%
Wilkin County11th7.0%25.7%15.4%23.1%4.0%15.6%
9th27.5%23.5%25.9%31.6%19.1%24.7%
All Grades18.1%24.6%20.9%27.3%13.9%20.8%
Winona County11th19.5%18.2%18.9%21.5%14.3%17.9%
9th29.2%25.0%27.1%22.4%22.1%22.3%
All Grades25.1%22.0%23.5%22.0%18.4%20.2%
Wright County11th14.5%19.9%17.3%12.9%20.1%16.5%
9th19.7%24.3%22.0%17.9%16.8%17.3%
All Grades17.3%22.2%19.8%15.6%18.3%17.0%
Yellow Medicine County11th18.4%31.7%24.4%18.8%26.5%22.7%
9th54.1%25.6%38.8%13.2%27.3%20.7%
All Grades33.7%28.6%31.2%15.7%26.9%21.6%

About the Indicator:

The average age at which young people ages 12 to 17 begin to drink is 13 years old. 

According to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 20.3% of 9th graders and 15.2% of 11th graders nationally reported they first drank alcohol before age 13 years.

N/A or * indicates that the data are unavailable or were not collected.

Data Source: Minnesota Student Survey (MSS)

Description: The MSS is a confidential and anonymous self-administered survey given to students attending Minnesota public, charter and tribal schools. From 1995 to 2010, the survey was administered to students in 6th, 9th, and 12th grades. New in 2013, the survey was administered to students in 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades. Trend data are now only available for 9th graders, and only for survey questions that did not change. Most schools elect to participate in the survey; in 2013, this included 84% of public schools in Minnesota.

Although the data are not presented here, the survey is also administered to area learning centers, juvenile correction facilities and private schools electing to participate.

Sponsored by: Minnesota Department of Education

Geographic Level: State, Region, and County

Aggregated data at the state and county level do not reveal disparities that may exist within a given geographic area.

Frequency: Data collected and reported every three years

Characteristics: The results of the MSS are also available at a county level. Data Privacy requirements mandate that data is presented in a manner such that no individual student can be identified through the presentation of the results. As part of the Data Privacy practices, the results are also presented in a manner that no individual school district could be identified through the results. Therefore, for counties that have only one school district, the results are not presented. Results are also withheld for counties in which the minimum number for student participation was not met.

The MSS is a “census” of schools, not a sample. The school districts get their own data. Fifth-graders were not asked all substance use questions. Some school districts do not participate, and student participation within the school district can vary widely. These data are self-reported.