Alcohol is a widely used substance. Though some would say small amounts are not a problem, any amount can lead to devastating consequences for those who develop an alcohol use disorder. Understanding statistics for alcoholism, including alcohol driving statistics and alcohol-related deaths, can paint a clear picture of what this drug really does.
National Statistics for Alcoholism
Understanding how alcohol is perceived and used throughout the United States is critical in ensuring people with alcohol use disorder receive the treatment they need. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism[1] (NIAAA) provides a range of insights and statistics about this, including the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health[2]. The report indicates that of people 18 or older, 86.3% reported drinking alcohol at some point throughout their lifetime. About 70% of those people stated they had a drink in the last year. About 56% stated they had a drink in the previous month.
Statistics for alcoholism are also reported by the same organization. It found 14.1 million adults in the United States had an alcohol use disorder. That accounts for 5.7% of this age group’s total population. Of that, 9 million are men and 5.1 million are women.
Another area of statistics for alcohol abuse involves youth between the ages of 12 and 7. The reports found 443,000 children in the United States suffered from an alcohol use disorder in 2017. That amounts to 1.8% of this age group’s population. Of this, 184,000 were male and 259,000 were female.