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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

20072010
MaleFemaleTotalMaleFemaleTotal
Minnesota6th20%14%17%19%13%16%
9th32%31%31%28%25%27%
12th22%17%19%19%14%17%
All Grades25%21%23%22%18%20%
Aitkin County6th20%26%23%21%12%17%
9th38%47%43%41%33%38%
12th35%38%36%21%30%26%
All Grades30%37%34%29%25%27%
Anoka County6th18%15%17%21%15%18%
9th31%31%31%27%29%28%
12th21%17%19%18%15%16%
All Grades23%21%22%22%20%21%
Becker County6th26%19%23%18%17%18%
9th44%33%38%29%24%27%
12th20%17%18%22%12%16%
All Grades31%24%27%23%18%21%
Beltrami County6th33%18%25%24%16%20%
9th40%37%38%33%33%33%
12th24%22%23%29%21%25%
All Grades34%28%31%29%24%27%
Benton County6th26%14%20%27%19%23%
9th33%38%35%29%28%28%
12th24%16%20%19%17%18%
All Grades28%23%25%25%21%23%
Big Stone County6thN/AN/A19%26%4%16%
9thN/AN/A42%35%27%32%
12thN/AN/A36%20%31%25%
All GradesN/AN/AN/A27%21%25%
Blue Earth County6th17%11%14%15%12%13%
9th30%29%29%28%24%26%
12th24%20%22%16%15%15%
All Grades25%21%23%19%17%18%
Brown County6th28%12%20%28%13%20%
9th31%38%35%39%25%32%
12th19%15%17%26%23%24%
All Grades27%19%23%31%20%25%
Carlton County6th26%15%20%23%11%17%
9th27%28%28%24%22%23%
12th19%16%18%20%10%15%
All Grades25%20%22%22%14%18%
Carver County6th18%8%13%13%7%10%
9th37%27%32%25%18%21%
12th17%13%15%20%12%16%
All Grades25%17%21%19%13%16%
Cass County6th29%22%25%33%21%27%
9th45%49%47%37%41%39%
12th35%30%33%28%24%26%
All Grades37%35%36%33%29%31%
Chippewa County6th29%11%22%N/AN/AN/A
9th33%28%30%N/AN/AN/A
12th26%13%18%N/AN/AN/A
All Grades30%19%24%N/AN/AN/A
Chisago County6th31%17%24%27%19%23%
9th42%37%39%38%30%33%
12th21%26%24%20%20%20%
All Grades32%27%29%28%23%26%
Clay County6th17%16%17%18%8%13%
9th33%28%30%25%21%23%
12th21%14%17%17%15%16%
All Grades24%19%21%21%16%19%
Clearwater County6th30%31%31%24%33%28%
9th44%56%51%47%43%45%
12th27%13%20%39%19%30%
All Grades33%34%33%37%34%35%
Cook County6thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
9thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
12thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Cottonwood County6th35%22%28%16%9%12%
9th27%24%25%33%27%30%
12th21%16%18%20%11%15%
All Grades28%20%24%23%16%19%
Crow Wing County6th27%14%21%24%17%21%
9th40%42%41%44%22%32%
12th26%21%23%25%19%22%
All Grades31%25%28%27%19%23%
Dakota County6th15%10%13%17%11%14%
9th30%29%29%25%21%23%
12th18%15%16%17%11%14%
All Grades21%18%20%19%15%17%
Dodge County6th17%15%16%28%10%19%
9th33%42%38%35%33%34%
12th34%14%24%26%19%23%
All Grades28%25%26%30%20%25%
Douglas County6th17%18%18%21%5%13%
9th28%31%29%29%26%28%
12th19%12%16%19%9%14%
All Grades22%21%21%23%15%19%
Faribault County6th28%20%24%N/AN/AN/A
9th29%22%25%N/AN/AN/A
12th13%19%15%N/AN/AN/A
All Grades23%20%22%N/AN/AN/A
Fillmore County6th22%21%21%34%15%25%
9th39%30%35%36%27%31%
12th38%17%27%16%16%16%
All Grades32%23%28%29%19%24%
Freeborn County6th30%12%21%25%25%25%
9th29%29%29%26%27%27%
12th19%16%18%11%12%12%
All Grades26%21%23%21%22%22%
Goodhue County6th14%10%12%21%10%16%
9th31%35%33%21%26%24%
12th25%17%21%21%16%18%
All Grades23%21%22%21%16%18%
Grant County6th21%7%14%N/AN/AN/A
9th44%26%34%N/AN/AN/A
12th35%6%18%N/AN/AN/A
All Grades33%13%23%N/AN/AN/A
Hennepin County6th17%13%15%16%11%14%
9th25%26%26%24%22%23%
12th17%15%16%16%13%14%
All Grades20%19%19%19%16%17%
Houston County6th16%14%15%34%7%20%
9th42%34%38%24%23%24%
12th18%22%20%21%22%22%
All Grades27%24%25%26%19%22%
Hubbard County6th31%29%30%13%11%12%
9th41%37%39%38%41%39%
12th27%34%30%38%17%29%
All Grades33%33%33%30%25%28%
Isanti County6th29%18%24%N/AN/AN/A
9th39%41%40%N/AN/AN/A
12th27%18%23%N/AN/AN/A
All Grades32%28%30%N/AN/AN/A
Itasca County6th30%21%25%24%18%21%
9th36%40%38%34%30%32%
12th27%17%22%19%20%19%
All Grades31%27%29%26%23%25%
Jackson County6th17%19%18%31%29%30%
9th43%29%36%35%33%34%
12th26%17%23%33%11%22%
All Grades29%23%26%33%23%29%
Kanabec County6th30%19%25%33%11%23%
9th39%36%37%30%37%33%
12th33%19%26%26%21%24%
All Grades34%25%30%30%23%27%
Kandiyohi County6th18%17%18%14%6%10%
9th28%29%28%19%15%17%
12th22%12%18%13%8%11%
All Grades23%21%22%15%9%12%
Kittson County6th20%11%15%27%13%19%
9th30%28%29%38%14%28%
12th38%37%37%29%11%21%
All Grades29%25%27%32%13%23%
Koochiching County6thN/AN/AN/A32%16%24%
9thN/AN/AN/A35%20%28%
12thN/AN/AN/A33%21%27%
All GradesN/AN/AN/A33%19%26%
Lac Qui Parle County6th25%12%19%21%9%16%
9th38%33%36%26%23%24%
12th29%15%22%13%17%15%
All Grades30%20%25%20%17%19%
Lake County6thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
9thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
12thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Lake of the Woods County6thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
9thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
12thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Le Sueur County6th24%13%18%20%20%20%
9th37%30%33%34%19%25%
12th38%17%27%18%16%17%
All Grades32%20%26%24%19%21%
Lincoln County6th26%10%18%30%23%28%
9th49%47%48%30%27%28%
12th18%23%21%28%10%19%
All Grades32%28%30%29%19%24%
Lyon County6th28%16%22%12%10%11%
9th38%29%33%31%18%25%
12th24%23%23%16%10%13%
All Grades30%23%27%20%13%16%
McLeod County6th24%18%21%24%9%17%
9th32%31%32%30%34%32%
12th23%18%21%15%13%14%
All Grades27%23%25%24%19%21%
Mahnomen County6th37%40%39%42%35%39%
9th41%45%43%46%44%45%
12th38%35%37%20%10%15%
All Grades38%41%40%38%32%35%
Marshall County6th21%18%19%12%2%7%
9th48%18%32%29%21%25%
12th13%18%16%16%10%13%
All Grades27%18%22%20%12%16%
Martin County6th21%15%18%23%19%21%
9th37%30%34%33%22%28%
12th27%18%22%21%16%18%
All Grades29%22%25%26%19%23%
Meeker County6th19%11%15%22%10%17%
9th31%27%29%25%23%24%
12th21%24%23%20%18%19%
All Grades24%21%22%22%17%20%
Mille Lacs County6th26%23%25%28%21%25%
9th43%43%43%36%31%33%
12th31%33%32%28%27%27%
All Grades34%33%34%31%26%28%
Morrison County6th33%20%27%33%16%25%
9th43%39%41%38%29%34%
12th30%29%30%36%22%29%
All Grades36%30%33%36%23%29%
Mower County6th19%11%15%25%14%19%
9th31%33%32%27%23%25%
12th29%24%27%20%21%20%
All Grades27%23%25%24%19%22%
Murray County6thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
9thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
12thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Nicollet County6th16%15%16%N/AN/A11%
9th33%32%33%N/AN/A24%
12th28%11%19%N/AN/A19%
All Grades25%20%23%N/AN/AN/A
Nobles County6th25%16%21%23%9%16%
9th30%34%32%32%31%31%
12th22%23%22%23%8%16%
All Grades26%24%25%26%17%22%
Norman County6th27%16%23%18%18%18%
9th21%23%22%37%39%38%
12th27%21%24%20%16%19%
All Grades25%20%23%26%24%25%
Olmsted County6th17%11%14%15%10%12%
9th28%25%26%23%20%21%
12th14%14%14%13%12%12%
All Grades20%16%18%17%14%15%
Otter Tail County6th22%14%18%27%19%23%
9th38%27%33%34%34%34%
12th34%21%28%27%21%24%
All Grades32%21%26%29%24%27%
Pennington County6th22%16%20%N/AN/AN/A
9th27%34%31%N/AN/AN/A
12th23%21%22%N/AN/AN/A
All Grades24%25%25%N/AN/AN/A
Pine County6th30%27%29%38%16%26%
9th49%45%47%44%41%42%
12th41%19%29%30%19%24%
All Grades38%31%35%38%25%31%
Pipestone County6th16%8%13%N/AN/AN/A
9th33%33%33%N/AN/AN/A
12th29%16%23%N/AN/AN/A
All Grades26%21%23%N/AN/AN/A
Polk County6th24%14%19%16%17%16%
9th35%34%34%38%32%35%
12th22%15%18%25%18%22%
All Grades27%21%24%27%23%25%
Pope County6thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
9thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
12thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Ramsey County6th22%17%20%18%15%17%
9th31%30%30%29%27%28%
12th20%14%17%19%13%16%
All Grades24%21%23%22%19%21%
Red Lake County6th14%19%17%22%39%29%
9th37%18%29%18%35%28%
12th26%26%26%26%0%15%
All Grades26%21%24%22%27%25%
Redwood County6th29%17%23%19%17%18%
9th33%35%34%39%32%35%
12th19%20%19%20%17%18%
All Grades27%24%26%26%24%25%
Renville County6th33%21%27%25%16%20%
9th44%39%41%39%29%35%
12th34%19%26%32%23%28%
All Grades36%26%31%32%22%27%
Rice County6th18%10%14%21%12%16%
9th30%23%27%28%32%30%
12th25%11%17%12%11%12%
All Grades24%15%20%22%19%20%
Rock County6thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
9thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
12thN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Roseau County6th29%17%23%17%7%12%
9th37%38%37%38%30%34%
12th18%19%19%28%17%23%
All Grades29%24%26%28%19%23%
St. Louis County6th21%15%18%19%13%16%
9th38%38%38%31%29%30%
12th18%21%19%21%18%20%
All Grades26%25%26%24%21%22%
Scott County6th21%11%16%16%7%12%
9th33%32%33%29%25%27%
12th24%19%22%24%14%19%
All Grades26%21%23%23%16%19%
Sherburne County6th22%13%17%17%12%15%
9th36%34%35%25%26%25%
12th23%16%19%19%15%17%
All Grades28%21%24%20%18%19%
Sibley County6th23%20%21%23%17%20%
9th36%36%36%35%42%39%
12th23%25%24%10%23%16%
All Grades28%28%28%23%28%25%
Stearns County6th20%13%16%21%17%19%
9th38%30%34%29%24%26%
12th23%17%20%21%15%18%
All Grades27%20%24%24%19%21%
Steele County6th17%12%14%27%17%22%
9th29%33%31%22%23%23%
12th21%20%21%20%10%15%
All Grades22%22%22%23%17%20%
Stevens County6th16%3%9%N/AN/A13%
9th42%25%32%N/AN/A24%
12th14%6%10%N/AN/A18%
All Grades23%12%18%N/AN/AN/A
Swift County6th26%8%17%26%13%19%
9th35%28%31%26%11%19%
12th38%14%25%21%11%16%
All Grades34%17%25%24%12%18%
Todd County6th36%16%26%38%27%32%
9th33%34%33%40%30%35%
12th27%25%26%23%20%21%
All Grades32%26%29%33%26%29%
Traverse County6thN/AN/A10%N/AN/A18%
9thN/AN/A38%N/AN/A43%
12thN/AN/A28%N/AN/A23%
All GradesN/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A
Wabasha County6th24%16%20%22%13%17%
9th39%33%36%31%24%27%
12th32%21%27%28%13%21%
All Grades32%24%28%27%17%22%
Wadena County6th22%17%20%28%23%25%
9th38%39%39%34%26%30%
12th34%15%25%33%19%25%
All Grades31%25%28%31%22%26%
Waseca County6th26%11%17%N/AN/A17%
9th32%29%31%N/AN/A25%
12th20%16%18%N/AN/A20%
All Grades26%18%22%N/AN/AN/A
Washington County6th17%10%13%18%10%14%
9th32%31%32%27%22%24%
12th19%13%16%15%11%13%
All Grades23%18%21%21%15%18%
Watonwan County6th27%13%20%29%22%25%
9th25%31%28%39%27%33%
12th29%20%24%22%18%20%
All Grades27%22%24%31%23%27%
Wilkin County6th17%3%10%27%3%16%
9th35%39%37%37%29%33%
12th17%11%14%18%16%17%
All Grades23%19%21%28%14%22%
Winona County6th23%14%18%18%10%14%
9th31%32%32%36%34%35%
12th21%20%20%22%10%16%
All Grades25%22%24%25%19%22%
Wright County6th20%15%17%16%8%12%
9th30%27%28%23%22%22%
12th25%17%21%14%13%14%
All Grades25%20%22%18%14%16%
Yellow Medicine County6th25%24%25%20%18%19%
9th42%36%39%45%29%37%
12th37%23%30%33%14%24%
All Grades35%28%31%34%21%27%

About the Indicator: 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.