35 Facts About Alcoholism

The middle cohort was the most ambivalent, with only 5% separating their first and third choice (beer and wine, respectively). Data suggest that this recent decline is largely due to young people drinking less; the under-35 cohort’s alcohol consumption has plummeted, even as the over-55 cohort’s drinking has ticked upward. The same study also looked at people’s drinking habits, and found that 58% of American adults said they drank at least sometimes. This is slightly under, but generally consistent with the longtime national trend of 63% of American adults who consume alcohol. This represents a dramatic change since the early 2000s, when the percentage of respondents who said that moderate alcohol consumption was healthy versus not healthy was roughly the same.

Cultural and Historical Influences on Alcohol Use

• Focusing on the youth, specifically those aged 12 to 17, about 757,000 individuals (2.9% of this group) were reported to have AUD.
• In many Asian countries, spirits account for most of total alcohol consumption.

Beer contains around 5% of pure alcohol per volume1 so that one liter of beer contains 0.05 liters of pure alcohol. To make this average more understandable, we can express it in bottles of wine. Wine contains around 12% pure alcohol per volume1 so that one liter of wine contains 0.12 liters of pure alcohol. So, a value of 6 liters of pure alcohol per person per year is equivalent to 50 liters of wine.

Report on the topic

By understanding these statistics and trends, more effective public health interventions can be developed to reduce alcohol-related harm. Whites and Native Americans are most affected by cirrhosis caused by alcohol. However, Black Americans have higher mortality rates once liver disease is diagnosed, often due to delayed treatment or comorbid conditions like diabetes or hypertension. Flags are symbolic representations of states, countries, territories, or organizations.

More Americans have used alcohol in the past year than any other drug or tobacco product. Alcohol-related deaths in Tennessee are much more likely to involve acute causes. Alcohol-related deaths in North Dakota are among the most likely to be due to chronic causes. Alcohol-related deaths are more likely to involve older, female, and chronic users.

Data source and methods

At the end of this topic page, we provide a number of potential sources of support and guidance for those concerned about uncontrolled drinking or alcohol dependency. Alcohol use disorder, which includes alcohol dependence, is defined in the WHO’s International Classification of Diseases (available here). Globally, the age-standardized death rate has declined from approximately 40 deaths per 100,000 people in the early 1990s to 30 deaths per 100,000 in 2019. Alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for a number of health conditions, and potential mortality cases. Alcohol consumption has a causal impact on more than 200 health conditions (diseases and injuries). This chart is shown for the global total but can be explored for any country or region using the “Change country or region” toggle.

This disorder contributes to more than200 separate health conditionsand alcohol-related injuries. On the other end of the spectrum, states like New Jersey (3.4), Delaware (3.6), and the District of Columbia (3.7) report the lowest binge drinking frequency among those who binge. The national median is 1.8 binge drinking occasions per month, but at the 75th percentile, that number jumps to 4.4—meaning a significant portion of binge drinkers are doing so weekly or more.

Mental Health Impact

In this article, we delve into various aspects of alcohol consumption, its impact on health, the challenges of alcohol dependence, and the available treatment options. All the statistics presented here are sourced from reputable databases and studies to ensure accuracy and reliability. This topic page looks at the data on global patterns of alcohol consumption, patterns of drinking, beverage types, the prevalence of alcoholism, and consequences, including crime, mortality, and road incidents. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.

Alcohol-Impaired Driving Statistics in the US

From the impact on families to the economic burden, the effects of alcoholism are far-reaching. Let’s dive into 35 eye-opening facts that will give you a deeper understanding of this widespread issue. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 29.5 million people aged 12 and older in the United States had Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD).

Among these adolescents, nearly half participated in binge drinking episodes, highlighting a troubling trend in risky drinking behavior during formative years. The impacts Alcoholism Statistics of alcohol abuse are seen in staggering statistics on alcohol-related health conditions, injuries and fatalities. For example, a value of 3.6 for bipolar disorder indicates that illicit drug dependency became more than three times more likely in individuals with bipolar disorder than those without. The risk of an alcohol use disorder is highest in individuals with intermittent explosive disorder, dysthymia, ODD, bipolar disorder, and social phobia. Those who abuse alcohol may show signs of intoxication or experience withdrawal symptoms after they stop drinking alcohol.

• Wyoming has one of the nation’s highest rates of alcohol-related deaths per capita.
• By 2020–2021, that number had increased to 178,000 deaths per year, marking a 29% increase in less than five years.
• Alcohol was the most commonly used substance of interest in the past 12 months, followed by cannabis, then sedatives, opioids, and cigarettes.
• About 27% of men and 42% of women report not consuming alcohol, indicating that a significant portion of adults abstains from drinking.
• According to alcoholism statistics, about 5.3% of all adults worldwide had alcoholism in 2023, and this number is likely to increase slightly in 2024.
• This alarming statistic emphasizes the urgent need for effective prevention strategies to combat underage drinking and its lasting repercussions.

Preventive measures and increased treatment access can yield significant returns by reducing these expenditures. The best outcomes occur when individuals remain in treatment longer and have access to continuing care. Those who start using substances before age 13 have a much higher likelihood of developing a long-term disorder compared to those initiating later. This emphasizes the centrality of middle-school-level prevention, family engagement, and community education. Despite men’s higher overall usage, both genders require support structures that address specific risk factors, Sobriety treatment adherence, and relapse triggers. These data suggest that a multi-pronged approach – improving access to education, employment, and stable housing – can reduce substance abuse in vulnerable communities.

What age group is alcohol use disorder most common?

Functional beverages (also known as alcohol adjacents) are a fast-growing option in the NA space. This subcategory includes beverages that contain some form of mood enhancer and/or nutritional supplementation, like CBD/THC, nootropics, or adaptogens. Unsurprisingly, huge brands are getting into the action in order to capitalize on their existing name recognition. Beer is the winner among the youngest cohort, while wine is the preferred beverage for people in the 55-and-over age group; nearly twice as many consumers in that group said they preferred wine compared to those under 35.