Average Age Youth First Drink

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Number of Average Age at Which Students Reported First Drinking More than a Few Sips of Alcohol, All Available Years: by Grade, Race, Gender, and Region

20072010
MaleFemaleTotalMaleFemaleTotal
Minnesota6thWhite101010101010
African-American or Black101110101010
Native American101010111111
Asian American/Pacific Islander111111111010
Hispanic/Latino101010111111
All Races Combined101010101010
9thWhite121313131313
African-American or Black121212121212
Native American121212121312
Asian American/Pacific Islander121312121312
Hispanic/Latino121212121312
All Races Combined121313121313
12thWhite141515151515
African-American or Black141414141414
Native American141414141414
Asian American/Pacific Islander141514141514
Hispanic/Latino141414141414
All Races Combined141515141515
All GradesWhite121313131414
African-American or Black121212121313
Native American121212121212
Asian American/Pacific Islander121312131313
Hispanic/Latino121212121312
All Races Combined121313131413
Metro6thWhite101010101010
African-American or Black101010101010
Native American101010101010
Asian American/Pacific Islander111111111011
Hispanic/Latino101010101010
All Races Combined101010101010
9thWhite131313131313
African-American or Black121212121212
Native American121212121312
Asian American/Pacific Islander121313121313
Hispanic/Latino121212121212
All Races Combined131313121313
12thWhite151515151515
African-American or Black141414141414
Native American141414141414
Asian American/Pacific Islander141514141515
Hispanic/Latino141414141414
All Races Combined151515151515
All GradesWhite131313131414
African-American or Black121212121313
Native American121212121212
Asian American/Pacific Islander121313131313
Hispanic/Latino121212121312
All Races Combined121313131413
Non-Metro6thWhite101010101010
African-American or Black111111101010
Native American111011111111
Asian American/Pacific Islander101111101010
Hispanic/Latino101110111111
All Races Combined101010101110
9thWhite121313121313
African-American or Black121212121312
Native American121212121312
Asian American/Pacific Islander121212121312
Hispanic/Latino121212121312
All Races Combined121312121313
12thWhite141514141515
African-American or Black141514141314
Native American131414141414
Asian American/Pacific Islander141414141514
Hispanic/Latino141414141514
All Races Combined141514141515
All GradesWhite121312131413
African-American or Black121212121312
Native American121212121212
Asian American/Pacific Islander121212131313
Hispanic/Latino121212121313
All Races Combined121312131313

About the Indicator: These data are valuable for planning and reporting purposes.  Some grantees are required to report age of first use as one their GPRA measures.  In addition, prevention planners may use data about age of first use as one factor in determining when to initiate prevention programs, policies, and practices.  In Minnesota, it is illegal for a person under age 21 to consume alcohol.  N/A 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.