That perception may help explain why beer is No. 1, Naimi said. Because of a governmental focus on the dangers of liquor, beer is generally less expensive, and easier to get.

The volume of beer advertising on television is also a factor, said Gail DiSabatino, vice president for student affairs at Clemson University.

"If you watch a commercial during any NCAA championship, or the big sporting events, beer is promoted heavily," she said.

In a separate study, a different team of researchers looked at 2005 survey data for public high school students in Arkansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming. The survey was anonymous. Results were based on about 4,000 responses.

The pilot study found that liquor was the most commonly consumed alcoholic beverage among teens who reported binge drinking. In Arkansas, liquor accounted for 49 percent of binge drinks, with beer, malt beverages, wine and wine coolers making up the rest. The hard stuff also was clearly ahead in Wyoming and New Mexico. In Nebraska, liquor and beer consumption were virtually tied.

Because the study was smaller and more geographically limited, it's difficult to equate it with the national study of adults, DiSabatino observed.

Asked why high school binge drinkers might prefer liquor, DiSabatino noted studies that show many youths get their alcohol from home.

It may be easier to snatch drinks from a liquor cabinet than beers from the fridge. "It might not be as noticed," DiSabatino said.

There are other motivations for teens, said Jennifer Cremeens, a former CDC epidemiologist who co-authored the high school study.

Liquor can be easier to conceal from parents, mixed in a cup with juice or soda. It's also more potent. "Liquor's quicker," Cremeens said.

The study of adult bingers was published for release Tuesday in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and was based on data from a national random-digit-dial survey done in 2003 and 2004.

The study of teen drinkers was published recently in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.