Age Youth First Drink

Geographic Area:

All Counties (customize)

See this topic by Grade, Race and Gender

Grade

Gender

Percent of Total All Grades Students Reporting That They First Had More than a Few Sips of Alcohol at Age 13 or Younger, 2016: by County

PercentCompare to State Average: 16.7%
Minnesota16.7%Barchart image
Aitkin County30.4%Barchart image
Anoka County15.4%Barchart image
Becker County17.4%Barchart image
Beltrami County22.7%Barchart image
Benton County22.9%Barchart image
Big Stone County*
Blue Earth County12.1%Barchart image
Brown County25.3%Barchart image
Carlton County21.5%Barchart image
Carver County16.2%Barchart image
Cass County27.5%Barchart image
Chippewa County*
Chisago County*
Clay County15.4%Barchart image
Clearwater County24.3%Barchart image
Cook County*
Cottonwood County25.7%Barchart image
Crow Wing County*
Dakota County14.4%Barchart image
Dodge County13.7%Barchart image
Douglas County20.2%Barchart image
Faribault County23.9%Barchart image
Fillmore County26.2%Barchart image
Freeborn County19.9%Barchart image
Goodhue County23.1%Barchart image
Grant County23.8%Barchart image
Hennepin County12.9%Barchart image
Houston County19.5%Barchart image
Hubbard County30.4%Barchart image
Isanti County29.8%Barchart image
Itasca County22.5%Barchart image
Jackson County21.4%Barchart image
Kanabec County21.4%Barchart image
Kandiyohi County18.2%Barchart image
Kittson County13.6%Barchart image
Koochiching County*
Lac Qui Parle County12.9%Barchart image
Lake County*
Lake of the Woods County*
Le Sueur County21.8%Barchart image
Lincoln County*
Lyon County15.9%Barchart image
McLeod County*
Mahnomen County35.1%Barchart image
Marshall County17.0%Barchart image
Martin County*
Meeker County16.9%Barchart image
Mille Lacs County24.9%Barchart image
Morrison County24.6%Barchart image
Mower County18.6%Barchart image
Murray County21.3%Barchart image
Nicollet County*
Nobles County17.2%Barchart image
Norman County19.6%Barchart image
Olmsted County15.0%Barchart image
Otter Tail County21.3%Barchart image
Pennington County*
Pine County27.5%Barchart image
Pipestone County*
Polk County18.7%Barchart image
Pope County14.7%Barchart image
Ramsey County15.9%Barchart image
Red Lake County26.7%Barchart image
Redwood County26.4%Barchart image
Renville County13.1%Barchart image
Rice County12.7%Barchart image
Rock County*
Roseau County20.0%Barchart image
St. Louis County19.4%Barchart image
Scott County15.1%Barchart image
Sherburne County17.9%Barchart image
Sibley County28.4%Barchart image
Stearns County15.1%Barchart image
Steele County17.1%Barchart image
Stevens County18.1%Barchart image
Swift County*
Todd County26.3%Barchart image
Traverse County*
Wabasha County22.0%Barchart image
Wadena County19.7%Barchart image
Waseca County16.7%Barchart image
Washington County14.8%Barchart image
Watonwan County27.2%Barchart image
Wilkin County20.8%Barchart image
Winona County20.2%Barchart image
Wright County17.0%Barchart image
Yellow Medicine County21.6%Barchart image

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.