Learn the Real Alcohol Abuse Facts
Alcohol Abuse Statistics
Risks of Alcohol
Many people, even social drinkers, occasionally have too much to drink. Sometimes, when they are suffering from a severe hangover, or they have embarrassed themselves by behaving in a foolish manner, they may wonder if they have a problem with alcohol. Teens and young adults may not be aware of the dangers of consuming alcohol, or the risk of alcohol poisoning. There is so much misinformation about alcohol that is passed around, that I thought I would check with the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence to investigate the real alcohol abuse facts for anyone who is either concerned about their drinking or who wants to be reassured that the amount they drink is not a serious problem. Here is some of what I learned.
Alcohol Abuse in America
Alcoholism is most common in people who earn less than $10,000, and lower in people who earn over $25,000. Of course, this may only indicate that people find it increasingly difficult to earn a living when they abuse alcohol. These income levels were based on a 1998 study by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Therefore, they would be somewhat higher today. However, the general theory would remain the same.
About 21% of men and 10% of women are considered heavy drinkers. Heavy drinkers are defined as people who drink two or more alcoholic beverages per day.
There seems to be a connection between depression and alcoholism. About 19% of people who have suffered from depression become alcoholics, as opposed to only about 9% of people who have not experienced previous bouts of depression.
People who admit they have driven under the influence of alcohol at least three times in the past year are nearly always either suffering from alcoholism or another alcohol related problem.
You can be an alcoholic even if you “only” drink beer or wine. In fact, 59% of the people who have ever received treatment for an alcohol problem said they preferred to consume beer.
About 43% of the people who are treated for alcoholism have revealed that they have a family history of alcoholism in a near relative.
The NCADD also reports that approximately 18 million Americans have alcohol problems, and more than 9 million children live with a parent who is dependent on either alcohol or illegal drugs.
Adult alcohol abuse can have other serious consequences for children, too. For example, fetal alcohol syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation.
In addition, approximately one-fourth of emergency room admissions are alcohol related, as are about one-third of suicides, and over one-half of homicides.
Nearly one-half of traffic fatalities are alcohol related.
Teenage Alcohol Abuse
The numbers above were primarily based on research involving adults. However, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence also has also accumulated research statistics on teenage alcohol abuse. Here are some of their findings:
In a survey of American teenagers, they learned that the average teen consumed their first alcoholic beverage before they were 13 years old!
Teens that began drinking before the age of 15 were four times more likely to have problems with alcohol as adults than people who waited to have their first drink after the age of 21.
Alcohol is a significant contributing factor in teen accidents, homicides and suicides, and these are the leading causes of death among teens.
According to a 2010 report, alcohol kills six times more young people than all illegal drugs combined!
Alcohol consumption is also a contributing factor in approximately two-thirds of the incidents of sexual assault and date rape in teens and college students.
Teenage alcohol consumption can result in brain damage, and it can have long-lasting, possibly permanent, effects.
Researchers have reported that about 88% of 10th graders and 75% of 8th graders admit that they find it either very easy or fairly easy to get alcohol.
Good News about Teenage Alcohol Abuse
If you are a concerned parent, I want to assure you that not all the news about teenage alcohol abuse is bad. For example, just because teens find it easy to obtain alcohol does not mean that they are all consuming it. In fact, according to two studies undertaken by the University of Michigan and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, performed by SAMHSA, we have a lot of positive news about teen drinking. SAMHSA is the federal government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Here are some of the facts that they found:
Drinking seemed to have declined among teenagers between the years of 2000 and 2006. Among students who admitted they had consumed an alcoholic beverage during the preceding 30 days, there was a 29 percent decline in 8th graders, an 18 percent decline in 10th graders and a 9 percent decline in high school seniors.
These studies also found a slight decline in the amount of binge drinking in 12 to 20 year olds, and a slight decrease in the number of teens who drove while under the influence of alcohol.
The surveys also reported these very encouraging statistics:
83% of 12-17 year-olds do not drink at all
90% of 12-17 year-olds never drink five or more alcoholic beverages in a row
98% of 12-17 year-olds would not be described as heavy drinkers
These statistics will change from time to time. If you want to have the most current information available, you should either check the government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence website. Teens often believe that “everyone” is drinking, and they need to drink, too. However, having accurate alcohol abuse statistics may help them realize that they don’t have to drink to have friends. In addition, educating teens may help make them aware of just how dangerous alcohol can be. Having the real alcohol abuse facts may also help you decide if someone you love has a problem.
If you are interested in learning more about alcoholism, treatments for alcohol abuse or Alanon, you may also want to read some of the articles listed below:
How to Recognize and Treat Alcohol Detox Symptoms
How to Find Caring Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment
Change Your Life with the Best Alcohol Abuse Treatment Programs
Top Five Alcohol Addiction Treatment Facilities in California
Taking the First Step in Alanon
Alanon and the Serenity Prayer
Why an Alcoholic’s Family Gets Frustrated
Living the Alanon Do’s and Don’ts
What to Do When Someone’s Drinking Bothers You
Alcohol Use in America
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Comments
This article will surely be of help to many people. Thanks for all the facts.
Thank you for your comment, Diva. I hope this article does help people get accurate alcohol abuse information for both adults and teens!
facts about alcohol abuse - very informative
Thanks Deborah-Diane. I think that is some great info - especially for parents of teens who are worried about their teen. Not that they shouldn't be concerned but it isn't quite as bad as it seems sometimes. Mind you, if you have a teen who does drink often, it seems even worse!
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