Alcoholic Behavior Statistics
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 Due to the numerous
negative and damaging consequences that are experienced or caused by alcoholics, it is not surprising that
there are many statistics on alcoholics in alcoholism research and by alcohol addiction experts. These
statistics, however, are more than mere facts and interesting information.
Indeed, a focus on alcoholic behavior statistics usually makes an impact on people that they
would not arrive at without such information.
Why Are Statistics On Alcoholics Necessary?
Because of the dangerous health problems experienced by alcoholics and due to their negative impact
on the lives of others, there are numerous statistics on alcoholics. The following represents some of these
statistics on alcoholics:
-
3 million Americans over the age of 60 are alcohol-dependent or alcohol abusers
- 20% of suicide victims in the United States are alcoholics
- Approximately 14 million people in the U.S. are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol
- Alcohol is the third leading cause of the preventable deaths in the United States
- Most alcoholics seeking treatment in the U.S. are in the 26-34 age group
- In the U.S., 66% of the population consumes alcohol
- An alcoholic will negatively impact the lives of 4 or 5 other Americans (such as associates, family, and
friends) while under the influence of alcohol
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that there were 17,000 alcohol-related traffic
fatalities in each of the last three years
- In the United States, more than 2 million people per year drive "under the influence"
- In the U.S., approximately every two minutes, a person is injured in an alcohol-related accident
- U.S. alcoholism statistics reported that 2.6 million binge drinkers in 2002 were between the ages of 12 and
17
- In the U.S., beer accounts for four times as many alcohol-related traffic accident fatalities (80%) as
liquor and wine (20%)
| Research has demonstrated that American children who are raised in single-family
households are almost twice as likely to experience an alcohol-related problem such as alcohol
abuse as compared with children who are raised by both parents in the same household. |
- In the United States, almost three times as many men (9.8 million) as women (3.9 million) abuse alcohol or
are alcohol-dependent
- Recent U.S. statistics reveal that 79% of fatal crashes occurring from midnight to 3:00am involve
alcohol.
- In the United States, 10% of the drinkers drink 50% of all the alcohol that is consumed
- In 2001, the highest rates for alcohol-related fatal crashes in the U.S. were recorded for drivers
21-24 years old (33%), followed by ages 25-34 (28%), and 35-44 (25%)
- Every year in the United States, more than 500,000 people are injured in alcohol-related motor vehicle
accidents
- 6.6 million American children under the age of 18 live in homes with at least one alcoholic parent
- It is estimated that 30% of all Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related motor vehicle accident
sometime during their lives
- U.S. alcoholism statistics show that people who start using alcohol before the age of 15 are 4 times more
likely to become alcoholic at some time in their lives, compared to those who start drinking at the legal age
of 21
- In the U.S., an average of one alcohol-related motor vehicle accident occurs every 30 minutes
- Approximately 53% of adults in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives has a
drinking problem
- Most of the "problem drinkers" in the U.S. are in the 18 - 29 year old age group
Even though a number of medications have been effective in treating alcoholism,
there is, however, no "magic bullet." That is, no single medication exists that is effective in
every situation or with
every person. |
- 41% of all U.S. traffic fatalities are alcohol related
- 8.1 million people in the U.S. are alcoholic
- Approximately 43% of U.S. adults have had a child, parent, sibling or spouse who is or was an
alcoholic
- It is estimated that more than 3 million teenagers in the U.S. between the ages of 14-17 are problem
drinkers
- According to recent research, 62% of U.S. high school seniors reported that they have been drunk
recently
Statistics on Alcoholics: Conclusion
Because of the great number of alcohol-related health problems, fatalities, and injuries that are
experienced by or caused by those who are alcohol dependent, there is an almost unlimited number of
statistics on alcoholics that are available.
| In the fourth and final stage of alcoholism, the alcoholic manifests an utter
disregard for everything, including shelter, family, food, and job. These occasional flights into
oblivion are best described, ironically, as drinking to get away from the problems caused by
drinking. |
| A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, abuse, or misbehavior, by
individual family members takes place on a continuing basis, leading other members of the family to
perpetuate, enable, and reinforce such behaviors. Often, children grow up in dysfunctional families
with the belief that such behaviors and ways of relating are "normal." |
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