Differences in drinking behavior and access to alcohol between Native American and white adolescents

We investigated differences in drinking behaviors and sources of alcohol among Native American (n=361) and White adolescents (n=1735), ages 11 to 19. Native American youth were more likely to have consumed alcohol in their lifetime and been intoxicated in the last 30 days than Whites. Native American drinkers were almost twice as likely to have gotten alcohol from an adult and twice as likely to have obtained alcohol from someone under 21. White drinkers were four times as likely to have obtained alcohol from their parents. Youth did not differ in access to alcohol from other social sources. Because youth access alcohol from different social sources, strategies to limit access must consider these differences. This study underscores the importance of examining ethnic-specific alcohol access patterns.