Statistics on Alcoholism

Every so often I like to post statistics on alcoholism and alcohol abuse. This is not to say that drinking is terrible and no one should use alcohol. Alcohol in moderation is enjoyable, a good way to relax and socialize, although relaxing and socializing can be accomplished just as well without drinking alcohol or using any other drug. This is about the damage done to those who have a problem with alcohol. Once a person becomes an alcoholic, it doesn’t go away, and consequences happen, regardless of age, race, religion, social status, etc.

Below is a sample of general statistics on alcoholism:

General Alcohol Statistics

• Alcohol poisoning kills six people every day. Of those, 76 percent are adults ages 35-64, and three of every four people killed by alcohol poisoning are men.³
• The group with the most alcohol poisoning deaths per million people is American Indians/Alaska Natives (49.1 per 1 million).⁴
• Alcohol-impaired driving accounts for more than 30 percent of all driving fatalities each year.¹
• More than 15 million people struggle with an alcohol use disorder in the United States, but less than eight percent of those receive treatment.¹
• More than 65 million Americans report binge drinking in the past month, which is more than 40 percent of the total of current alcohol users.⁵
• Teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year. That’s more than all illegal drugs combined.⁶
  Drunk driving costs the United States $199 billion every year.⁶
• Kids who start drinking young are seven times more likely to be in an alcohol-related motor vehicle accident.⁶

If you or a loved one has a problem, and you don’t know what to do about it, just call us at 912-201-3605 and we’ll do an assessment and make recommendations. Don’t be ashamed — it’s medical problem and treatment works. Statistics on alcoholism can sound like a scare tactic — no, it’s just reality.