Statistics on Alcoholism

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Alcoholism is a progressive degenerative disease that includes the following four symptoms:  tolerance, physical dependence, craving, and the loss of control.  There is a variety of various issues concerning alcoholism that need to be investigated in order to better understand this insidious disease.  

Concentrating on the statistics on alcoholism that are available, it is claimed, is one of the more informative ways to analyze alcoholism and its related factors. 

Why Statistics on Alcoholism are Needed

Unfortunately, the full extent of the dangerous and widespread effects of alcoholism are not typically comprehended until various alcoholism-related statistics are explicitly articulated. 

As a consequence, the following statistics on alcoholism, retrieved from different research studies and surveys on the Internet, will be offered:

• Between 48% and 64% of the people who die in fires have blood alcohol levels indicating intoxication.
  
  
• During the second stage of alcoholism, physical symptoms such as stomach problems, blackouts, hangovers, and hand tremors increase.
  
  
• 20% of suicide victims in the United States are alcoholics.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• More than 2 million Americans suffer from alcohol-related liver disease.  Some drinkers, moreover, develop alcoholic hepatitis (that is, an inflammation of the liver) as a result of long-term heavy drinking.
  
  
• Alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse cost the United States an estimated $220 billion in 2005.  This dollar amount was more than the cost associated with obesity ($133 billion) or with cancer ($196 billion).
  
  
• Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are the third leading cause of the preventable deaths in the United States.
  
  
• In Canada, an estimated 4% of the population over the age of 15 is dependent on alcohol and there are twice as many male alcoholics as female alcoholics.
  
  
• United States alcoholism statistics demonstrate that individuals who start using alcohol before the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholic at some time in their lives, compared to those who start drinking at the legal age of 21.
  
  
• More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke.
  
  
• In the United States, more than 40% of those who start drinking at age 14 or younger become alcoholic.
  
  
• 3.1 million Americans -- approximately 1.4% of the population 12 and older -- received addiction treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems in 1997; treatment peaked among people 26-34.
  
  
• More than 18% of Americans experience alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence at some time in their lives.
  
  
• There are higher rates of alcoholism in the unemployed, laborers, those of lower socioeconomic status, those that drop out of high school, those who entered college but failed to earn a degree, and those under more stress.
  
  
• Treatment for alcoholism has been shown to reduce criminal activity up to 80% among chronic offenders, has increased their rate of employment, decreases homelessness and reduces all health care costs.

• Children of alcoholics are significantly more likely to engage in underage alcohol use and to develop addiction and other alcohol-use disorders.
  
  
• Nearly one-fourth of all persons admitted to general hospitals have alcohol problems or are undiagnosed alcoholics being treated for the consequences of their drinking.
  
  
• Alcohol problems cluster in and destroy families. More than 50% of current drinkers have a family history of alcoholism.
  
  
• 95% of alcoholics die from their disease and die approximately 26 years earlier than their normal life expectancy.
  
  
• In a study conducted in 38 States and the District of Columbia, areas with greater numbers of drinking establishments had higher rates of alcoholism.
  
  
• More than 700,000 Americans receive alcoholism treatment on any given day.
  
  
• In the United States, 500 million work days are lost each year to alcoholism.  

Statistics on Alcoholism:  Conclusion

It is apparent from the above list of statistics on alcoholism that this disease is truly an equal opportunity destroyer.  That is, alcoholism adversely affects people from every race, occupation, income group, political party, religious affiliation, gender, and nationality.

After reviewing some of the shocking statistics on alcoholism described above, moreover, it is now understandable why various individuals have labeled alcoholism as "the silent stalker" and "the silent killer."

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