States with the Most Underage Drinking

10. Texas
> Binge drinking: 23.5% (10th highest)
> Driving after drinking alcohol: 10.2% (8th highest)
> Drank alcohol before age 13: 22.8% (10th highest)

High school students in Texas consistently have among the worst drinking habits in the country. Besides having the 10th-highest rate of binge drinking in the U.S., the state is among the 10 worst in the country for 9th through 12th graders drinking and driving, and current alcohol use. According to the CDC’s report, nearly one in three high schoolers reported having been in a car with a driver who had been drinking — the highest proportion in the country. According to the Department of Transportation, 40% of all driving fatalities in Texas were related to drunk driving, tied as the fifth-highest rate in the country.

9. Ohio
> Binge drinking: 23.7% (tied for 8th highest)
> Driving after drinking alcohol: 7.2% (23rd highest)
> Drank alcohol before age 13: 18.1% (26th highest)

In Ohio, more than 70% of high school students reported having at least tried a drink — the eighth-highest rate in the country. Also, 38% reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days, one of the highest percentages in the country. The state also appears to have severe problems with tobacco and drug use among its youth. Ohio has the eighth-highest rate of 9th to 12th graders smoking, the 10th-highest rate of reported marijuana use and the ninth-highest rate of needle drug use.

8. New Jersey
> Binge drinking: 23.7% (tied for 8th highest)
> Driving after drinking alcohol: 6.4% (33rd highest)
> Drank alcohol before age 13: 14.4% (3rd lowest)

More notable than their binge drinking habits, New Jersey 9th to 12th graders rank third in the nation for current alcohol use at almost 43%. While the state’s high schoolers rank eighth in binge drinking, the adults fall in the middle of the pack for states with binge drinkers. New Jersey also has one of the lowest numbers of traffic fatalities due to alcohol.

7. New Hampshire
> Binge drinking: 23.8% (tied for 6th highest)
> Driving after drinking alcohol: 8.6% (17th highest)
> Drank alcohol before age 13: 14.3% (2nd lowest)

Just 14.3% of New Hampshire high school students tried alcohol before they were 13 years old, which is the second-lowest proportion in the country. Nevertheless, 38.4% of teens reported drinking alcohol in the past 30 days — a bigger rate than in most other states. Of those high schoolers who responded, 5.6% reported drinking alcohol on school property, the sixth-highest percentage in the country.

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6. Wisconsin
> Binge drinking: 23.8% (tied for 6th highest)
> Driving after drinking alcohol: 8.7% (15th highest)
> Drank alcohol before age 13: 18.6% (23rd highest)

Wisconsin high school aged children are some of the biggest binge drinkers in the county, and so are their parents. Almost 22% of adults in Wisconsin reported binge drinking in the past 30 days (the national average is less than 15%). In a state where the professional baseball team is named the Milwaukee Brewers, drinking is certainly socially acceptable.