Blood alcohol levels in urban adolescents

Information on alcohol use was collected during a survey of dietary intake and energy expenditure of fifteen year olds. Drinking habits of children from solo parent families were little different from those in two parent families. Thirty-two percent of the girls and 26% of the boys said they never drank. Mothers of non-drinkers were twice as likely to be full-time homemakers than mothers of drinkers. Blood alcohol levels were calculated from reported alcohol consumption. While most subjects drank sensibly, a group did not. Most weekends 7% of all girls and 22% of all boys drank sufficient liquor to give them blood alcohol levels over the legal limit. Boys in this group had a mean energy intake and expenditure 30% higher than the rest.