Alcohol
Good news! Our last 3 youth surveys show a consistent decline in underage drinking in Norwalk. Learn more below. To get involved, join our alcohol committee, which meets virtually, every other month on the 1st Wednesday from 3:30pm-5pm
Scroll down to see our infobrief & get answers to Frequently Asked Questions.
Liquor Stickers
Make sure your keep your liquor locked up and out of the hands of kids! If you can't keep it in a locked cabinet, consider using our Liquor Stickers to prevent youth from accessing an open bottle! Available at participating package stores in Norwalk.
Are all Norwalk kids drinking?
Parent Q&A
No! The good news is that the majority of Norwalk kids are NOT drinking. But our 2018 Norwalk youth survey found that:
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1 in 3 (32%) of all high schoolers surveyed (9th & 11th graders) surveyed drank 1 or more alcoholic beverages in the past month, compared with the state average of 1 in 4 high schoolers (26%).
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25% of all grades surveyed (7th, 9th and 11th) had at least 1 alcoholic drink in the past month
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13% of 7th graders drank in the past month. See infobrief for grade by grade drinking.
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Almost 1 in 4 Norwalk juniors reported binge-drinking in the past 2 weeks
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The most common drinking location reported by teens is at their own home or a friend's house.
In our 2021 survey, drinking rates were very low, due to the quarantine. We will be re-surveying in October 2022--stay tuned for new data!
How much is a standard drink?
Responsible Drinking Q&A
In the United States, a "standard" drink contains about 14 grams of alcohol. That's the amount in:
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12 oz of beer (if the beer is 5% Alcohol by Volume)
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5 oz of wine (if the wine is 12% Alcohol)
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1.5 oz (1 shot) of liquor (if the liquor is 40% Alcohol, aka 80 proof)
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A regular size wine bottle contains about 5 standard drinks. Drinks in restaurants are often 2 or more "standard" drinks. For example, wine may come in 6oz-9oz amounts. A cocktail often contains 2 shots. Learn more & get tools for making changes at Rethinking Drinking.