Teens in Kentucky Reportedly Drinking Alarming Amounts of Soda

Teens in Kentucky are reaching for sugary sodas more often than in nearly every other state in the country.

New CDC Data Reveals Teen Soda Habits Across U.S.

A new report citing the latest CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey data highlights how frequently American teenagers are consuming soft drinks, and the numbers are eye-opening.

Kentucky Teens Among Top Soda Drinkers

Nationally, about 15% of teens drink soda at least once a day, with roughly 9% reporting two or more sodas daily. On the other end of the spectrum, 31% of teens say they don’t drink soda at all.

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What’s Inside a Can of Soda? A Lot of Sugar

Kentucky, however, stands out for all the wrong reasons. The Commonwealth ranks second in the U.S., with 18.5% of teens reporting they drink soda two or more times per day. The report notes that many of the top-ranking states for teen soda consumption are in the South, including West Virginia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.

States With the Lowest Teen Soda Consumption

Meanwhile, states in New England reported significantly lower rates. Massachusetts, for example, had the lowest, with just 5% of teens consuming two or more sodas daily.

While an occasional soft drink isn’t the end of the world, regular and excessive consumption during adolescence can have long-term health consequences, including childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic health issues.

Why Teen Soda Habits Matter for Long-Term Health

The goal of the report, shared by PARequirements,  is to raise awareness of how something as simple as soda habits can create or widen health gaps among kids, especially across different regions of the country.