Like One Of The Guys

By Elizabeth L. Bland, Benjamin Nugent, Roy B. White, Rebecca Winters

The GENDER GAP that once existed in teen alcohol use is closing, according to a study by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. In 1991, 31% of boys and 22% of girls in 10th grade engaged in BINGE DRINKING, defined as having five or more drinks in a row. In 1999, 34% of boys and 31% of girls were binge drinkers. Though an early, eye-popping stat from the study--that underage drinkers consume 25% of all the nation's alcohol--turned out to be overstated (it's actually only half that), the problem is still huge: more than 5 million HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS are binge drinkers.