THE NUMBERS
South Dakota Statistics
| Deaths | Injuries | |
| 2010 | 5 | 86 |
| 2006 – 2010 Total | 49 | 564 |
In 2009:
(SD Youth Risk Behavior Survey)
- 73 percent of South Dakota high school students had one or more drinks containing alcohol in their lifetime.
- 40 percent had one or more drinks containing alcohol in the past 30 days.
- 26 percent had five or more drinks containing alcohol in a row on one or more days in the past 30 days.
- 19 percent drank alcohol before age 13.
- 3 percent of those who drank alcohol in the past 30 days usually bought the alcohol in a store.
- 26 percent usually drank alcohol at another person's home in the past 30 days.
- Nearly 75 percent of South Dakota teens living in permissive households say they drank heavily in ninth grade. Only 8 percent of children from nonpermissive said the same. Results were similar for 11th graders (74 percent and 27 percent, respectively). (Journal of Studies on Alcohol)
The numbers are improving, but far too many South Dakota teens continue to put themselves and others at risk.
In 2010 - the latest report available
(2010 South Dakota Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Summary)
| Month | Deaths |
|---|---|
| January | 0 |
| February | 0 |
| March | 1 |
| April | 1 |
| May | 2 |
| June | 0 |
| July | 0 |
| August | 0 |
| September | 0 |
| October | 1 |
| November | 0 |
| December | 0 |
| Total | 5 |
| Day of Week | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 0 |
| Monday | 1 |
| Tuesday | 1 |
| Wednesday | 0 |
| Thursday | 1 |
| Friday | 0 |
| Saturday | 2 |
| Total | 5 |
Alcohol-Related Fatalities by SD County in 2010 (Ages 13–19 Only)
Counties in dark gray each had one fatality in 2010.
National Statistics and Facts
- One out of every two eighth graders has tried alcohol. (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA)
- Chronic heavy drinking during adolescence has been linked to cognitive deficits and alterations in brain activity and structure. (Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics)
- More kids use alcohol than use tobacco or illicit drugs. (SAMHSA)
- More children are killed by alcohol than all illegal drugs combined. (Entertainment Industries Council EIC & National Institute on Alcohol Abuse & Alcoholism NIAAA)
- Ninety percent of teens think their peers are likely to drink on prom night, and 79 percent said the same about graduation night. However, only 29 percent think driving is dangerous on prom night, and only 25 percent think likewise about graduation night. (Poll conducted by ORC Guideline for Liberty Mutual and Students Against Destructive Decisions)
- Children who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are five times more likely to develop alcohol problems than those who start after age 21. (NIAAA)
- Teens raised by “indulgent parents tend to give their children praise and warmth but who don’t monitor bad behavior are among the biggest alcohol abusers. (Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs)
- Nearly half of youths ages 12 to 14 who drank alcohol in the past month obtained the alcohol from a parent, guardian or other adult family member (31%) or took the alcohol from their own home. (15%). (SAMHSA)
- Compared with adults, adolescents are less sensitive to the negative effects of alcohol intoxications, such as hangover and loss of coordination, but they are more sensitive to the way alcohol eases social situations. That puts them at a higher risk for binge drinking. (Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics)
Beyond the Numbers
Underage drinking and driving is not a rite of passage. It is not something adults should expect or condone. When a teen is injured or killed in a crash caused by underage drinking, the impact goes far beyond the scene of the crash.
Parents see cherished dreams of their children's futures turn to bittersweet memories. Friends who reveled in the illusion of immortality are forced to face the reality of death. Strangers draw together in shock, disbelief and grief.
Statistics give us numbers of underage drinking reports, car crashes, deaths and injuries. People give us a glimpse into the heartbreak beyond the numbers.
