What is the relationship between alcohol and other drug use and academic achievement?
Data presented below from the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show a negative association between
alcohol and other drug use and academic achievement after controlling for sex, race/ethnicity, and grade level. This
means that students with higher grades are less likely to engage in alcohol and other drug use behaviors than their
classmates with lower grades, and students who do not engage in alcohol and other drug use behaviors receive higher
grades than their classmates who do engage in alcohol and other drug use behaviors. These associations do not prove
causation. Further research is needed to determine whether low grades lead to alcohol and other drug use, alcohol and
other drug use leads to low grades, or some other factors lead to both of these problems.
Students with higher grades are significantly less likely to have engaged in behaviors such as
• Current alcohol use (having at least one drink of alcohol on at least 1 day during the 30 days before the survey).
• Binge drinking (having five or more drinks of alcohol in a row within a couple of hours on at least 1 day during the
30 days before the survey).
• Drinking alcohol for the first time before age 13 years (other than a few sips).
• Current marijuana use (using marijuana one or more times during the 30 days before the survey).
• Ever taking prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription (taking prescription drugs [e.g., OxyContin,
Percocet, Vicodin, Adderall, Ritalin, or Xanax] without a doctor’s prescription one or more times during their life).
• Ever using ecstasy (using ecstasy [also called MDMA] one or more times during their life).