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Underage Drinking in NE the Subject of Collaborative Report

UNMC in  partnership with Project Extra Mile, co-authored a report on underage drinking in Nebraska.  Data was collected from a variety of sources. 

Nicole Carritt, Executive Director for Project Extra Mile, says in 2009, underage customers consumed a quarter of all alcohol sold in the state. 

Carritt says the report offers evidenced-based recommendations for policies that could help prevent underage drinking.

"We know that includes increasing taxes on alcohol products.  We know that youth are particularly price-sensitive when it comes to the cost of alcohol.  We would look to limit youth exposure to alcohol advertising.  And some of these things we know can happen at the state level but communities can also take their own action in some of these recommendations.”

Carritt says contrary to the national trend toward lower levels of underage drinking, Nebraska saw a 5-6% increase in underage drinking between 2007-2011.   

She says a significant portion of that increase was in binge drinking.