Alcohol abuse affects people of all ages, and with teens using at unprecedented rates, addiction rates continue rising every year. Just in the last decade, there has been an uptick in alcoholism. Read on to learn about alcohol abuse statistics in the United States.
Alcohol Use
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the prevalence of drinking in the U.S. as of 2017 includes these statistics:
- 86.3 percent of people 18 years of age and older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime, with 70.1 percent saying that they drank in the past year, and 55.9 percent drank in the past month.
- Concerning binge drinking and heavy alcohol use, 26.4 percent 18 and over reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the last month; 6.7 percent reported that they engaged in alcohol use in the previous month.
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD)
According to the NSDUH, 14.1 million adults (ages 18 and over) had AUD. This is 5.7 percent of this age group. This includes 9 million men (7.5 percent of this group), and 5.1 million women (4 percent of women in this age group). More statistics for 2017 include:
- Approximately 6.5 percent of adults who had AUD in the past year received treatment, which includes 6.5 percent of males and equally women in this age group.
- An estimated 443,000 adolescents ages 12-17 (1.8 percent of this age group) have AUD. This number includes 184,000 males (1.4 percent of males) and 259,000 females, making up 2.1 percent in this age group.
- About 5.2 percent of youth received treatment in the past year; this includes 5.8 percent of males and 4.8 percent of females in this age group who had AUD.
Alcohol and College Students
In this age group, the prevalence of drinking accounts for 53.3 percent of full-time college students (aged 18-22) who drank alcohol in the past month; this compares with 49.9 percent of non-students of the same age. 34.8 percent of college students engaged in binge drinking in the past month, compared with 33.4 percent of non-students of the same age. Heavy alcohol use for the same age group amounted to 9.7 percent, compared with 9.1 percent of non-students of the same age.
Alcohol-Related Deaths
Approximately 88,000 people (estimated 62,000 men and 26,000 women) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death. Behind that, the 2nd is poor and physical activity, with the first being tobacco. In 2014, 9.967 deaths were from alcohol-impaired driving.
Consequences of Abusing Alcohol
Between the ages of 18 and 24, researchers estimate that each year:
- Roughly 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for AUD.
- 1,825 college students die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor-vehicle crashes
- 696,000 students are assaulted by another student who has been drinking
- 97,000 students report experiencing alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape
- About 1 in 4 college students report academic problems related to drinking, such as missing class, falling behind in class, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving overall lower grades.
Call Ardu Recovery Center
You can overcome alcohol abuse with the right treatment program. Ardu Recovery Center employs caring staff and a customized plan that includes family involvement. Contact us to discuss your specific needs today.
