New data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that teenagers in Georgia drink less alcohol than minors in many other states.

According to the survey, just over 12.5 percent of Georgians between the ages of 12 and 20 reported drinking alcohol in the past month. That compares to a national average of just over 15 percent.

Georgia also reported a lower rate of binge drinking among minors. The survey shows 6.89 percent of underage individuals in the state engaged in binge drinking, compared to the national average of 8.29 percent.

The state’s underage drinking rate also falls slightly below the average for Southern states as a whole, which stands at nearly 13.5 percent.

Nationally, the highest rate of underage drinking was reported in Vermont, while Mississippi had the lowest.

The survey found that minors in the Northeast drink alcohol at higher rates than those in any other region of the country, followed by the Midwest and the West. The South recorded the lowest rates overall.

In Georgia, underage drinking remains below the national average, with 12.62 percent of minors reporting alcohol use, nearly three percentage points lower than the national rate.

Health experts say one in eight minors in Georgia still consume alcohol, which they say should concern parents, schools, and communities across the state.