Got milk? Not as much, survey of U.S. teens shows

NEWYORK — Fewer U.S. teens are smoking, having sex and doing drugs these days. Oh, and they’re drinking less milk, too.

Less than one-third of high school students drink a glass of milk a day, according to a government survey released Thursday. About two decades ago, it was nearly half.

Last year’s survey asked about 100 questions on health topics, including smoking, drugs and diet. Researchers compared the results with similar questionnaires going back more than 25 years.

One trend that stood out was the drop in drinking milk, which started falling for all Americans after World War II. In recent decades, teens have shifted from milk to soda, then to sports drinks and recently to energy drinks such as Monster and Red Bull.

The survey showed slightly fewer youngsters are drinking soda and sports drinks now, compared with the last survey in 2015.

One caveat: Most students were not asked about energy drinks, so how many youngsters drink them now isn’t known.

Youngsters have shifted from a dairy product rich in calcium and vitamin D to beverages laden with sugar and caffeine, which is likely contributing to the nation’s obesity problem, said Barry Popkin, a University of North Carolina researcher who studies how diets change.

For teens, the government recommends 3 cups daily of dairy products: milk, yogurt or cheese.

The survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is conducted every two years. About 15,000 students at 144 high schools were surveyed last year.