Seven out of ten Brazilian teenagers used to drink alcohol, according to a survey released Friday by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).

According to the National Student Health Survey, 71.4 percent of students aged 13 to 15 admitted they had drunk alcoholic beverages, while 27.3 percent consumed alcoholic beverages in the 30 days before being surveyed.

Some 73.1 percent girls said they had tried alcohol, while 69.5 percent boys admitted alcohol use. The rate of alcohol consumption is also higher among youngsters who attend private schools (75.7 percent) than among the teenagers who go to public schools (70.3 percent).

A total of 22.1 percent of the surveyed students said they used to get drunk. The access to alcoholic beverages is easy: 20 percent said they bought alcohol at bars or supermarkets; 36.6 percent had access to them at parties, and 12.6 percent found the drinks in their own homes.

The survey also found that 24.2 percent of the students aged 13 to 15 smoked at least once, while 30.5 percent of them used to have sexual relations.

The IBGE study was carried out among 60,973 students of the ninth grade in 1,453 public and private schools from all Brazilian state capitals and the Federal District.

In order to get truthful answers and ensure total privacy and anonymity, respondents filled the questionnaire with handheld computers.

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