Alcoholism Statistics

Drinking and Driving Statistics
Statistics on Alcoholism
Statistics of Alcoholism

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Statistics on Alcoholism

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Keeping a tab on the costs, human and financial, of alcohol.

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Alcoholism statistics provide an insight into the costs and damage of alcoholism.

If you want to learn about alcoholism there is nothing like some real numbers to demonstrate the severity of the problem and how it actually affects its victims and the whole of society.

Below you will find statistics on alcoholism and its impact on society.

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Alcoholism Statistics
The Problem

The following numbers are taken from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

• Almost half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2001 survey (48.3 percent). This translates to an estimated 109 million people.
• Approximately 14 million Americans or 7.4 percent of the population - meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
• More than one-half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism.
• Approximately one in four children younger than 18 years old in the United States is exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence while living within an alcoholic family.
• Heavy drinking was reported by 5.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older, or 12.9 million people.

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Statistics of Alcoholism
The Leading Abused Substance

In 2006 there were nearly 1.8 million admissions for treatment of alcohol and drug abuse to facilities that report to State administrative data systems. Most admissions (40 percent) were for alcohol treatment.

Percentage of Admissions	Substance or Drug
21.9	Alcohol
17.8	Alcohol + another drug
16.1	Marijuana
13.7	Heroin
9.9	Smoked cocaine (crack)
8.7	Stimulants
4.2	Opiates (not heroin)
4.0	Other-than-smoked cocaine (e.g., cocaine powder)
0.4	Tranquilizers
0.2	PCP
0.2	Sedatives
0.1	Hallucinogens
0.1	Inhalants
0.5	Other drugs
2.4	None reported

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Statistics on Alcoholism
The Cost of Alcohol

Alcoholism statistics on the economic costs to society reveal amazing facts.

First we see the diversified range of costs, from direct treatment and lost employment to victims of alcohol related crimes and the health costs of alcohol abuse.

Second, alcohol dependence and abuse cost the US approximately $220 billion in 2005. For the sake of comparison, this was greater than the amount of money spent to combat cancer ($196 billion) and obesity ($133 billion).

Economic costs to society of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, United States, 1983

Types of Cost	Costs ($ millions)
Treatment (for alcohol abuse and alcoholism, liver cirrhosis, motor vehicle crashes, etc)	13,457
Health support services	1,549
Mortality	18,151
Reduced productivity	65,582
Lost employment	5,323
Motor vehicle crashes	2,697
Crime	2,631
Social welfare administration	49
Other	3,673
Victims of crime	194
Incarceration	2,979
Motor vehicle crashes	590
Total	116,875

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Alcoholism Statistics
Drinking and Driving Statistics

• According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - in 2008, 31 percent of car accidents were alcohol related.
• 64 percent of all car accidents between midnight and 3am were alcohol related.
• Alcohol-related fatalities are caused primarily by the consumption of beer (80 percent) followed by liquor/wine at 20 percent.
• The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes in 2001 were recorded for drivers 21-24 years old (33 percent), followed by ages 25-34 (28 percent) and 35-44 (25 percent).
• The intoxication rate (those over .08 BAC) for male drivers involved in fatal crashes was 24 percent, compared with 13 percent for female drivers.

Traffic crashes, traffic crash fatalities, and alcohol-related traffic crash fatalities, United States

Year	Traffic crashes	Traffic crash fatalities (a)	Alcohol-related traffic crash fatalities (b)	Percent of all traffic crash fatalities (b/a)
2004	38444	42836	16919	39
2003	38477	42884	17105	39
2002	38491	43005	17524	40
2001	37862	42196	17400	41
2000	37526	41945	17380	41
1999	37140	41717	16572	39
1998	37107	41501	16673	40
1997	37321	42013	16711	39
1996	37494	42065	17748	42
1995	37242	41817	17732	42
1994	36254	40716	17308	42
1993	35780	40150	17908	44
1992	34942	39250	18290	46
1991	36937	41508	20159	48
1990	39836	44599	22587	50
1989	40741	45582	22423	49
1988	42130	47087	23833	50
1987	41438	46390	24093	51
1986	41090	46087	25017	54
1985	39195	43825	23166	52




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Other Alcoholism Statistics:

• Globally alcohol consumption has increased in recent decades, with all or most of that increase in developing countries.
• It is estimated that over 3 million teens between the ages of 14 and 17 in the United States today are alcoholics.
• 62% of high school teenagers report that they have been drunk; 31% say they have had five or more drinks in a row during the last two weeks.
• Alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of preventable mortality in the United States after tobacco and diet/activity patterns.
• Alcoholism prevalence is highest for both sexes in the 18-to-29 age group.
• A survey of over 450 American alcohol abusers revealed that the vast majority of them did not grow up with a father figure in their households.
• People who have a good relationship with their spouses have an 8.9% probability of developing alcoholism over the course of their lifetime. Contrarily, 29.2% of adults who are living with a partner and have never married are likely to become alcoholics.
• One out of every five alcoholics who attempt to stop drinking without medical intervention end up dying as a result of alcoholic withdrawal delirium.
• People who live with an alcoholic take ten times the amount of sick leave than individuals who are not exposed to alcoholism.
• A staggering half-a-million US children aged nine to 12 are addicted to alcohol.




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