Alcohol Statistics

Alcohol is the number one drug problem in America

More than 17.6 million Americans--8.5 percent of the population--have alcohol-use disorders.
More than one-half of adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism.
Approximately one in four children younger than 18 years old is exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
Alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths annually, making it the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States after tobacco and diet/activity patterns. Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 270, No. 18, 11/10/93, p. 2208.
The estimated economic cost of alcohol abuse was $184.6 billion for 1998 alone, or roughly $638 for every man, woman, and child living in the United States that year. NIAAA 10TH Special Report, 2000.

45.8 percent of all fatally injured drivers in Illinois who were tested had a positive BAC
52.8 percent of the fatally injured drivers 16-24 years of age who were tested had a positive BAC
Of the fatally injured pedestrians in Illinois who were tested, one third had a positive BAC. 2002 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics, Illinois Department of Transportation

Alcohol, more so than illegal drugs, is linked to violent behavior. Join Together Online, 1/28/02
Four in ten criminal offenders report alcohol as a factor in violence.
About 4 in 10 criminal offenders report that they were using alcohol at the time of their offense.
Two-thirds of the violent crime victims who were attacked by an intimate--a current or former spouse or a boyfriend or girlfriend--report that alcohol had been a factor.
Among spouse violence victims, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved alcohol use by the offender. U. S. Department of Justice "Alcohol and Crime"
Alcohol is more likely to be involved in crimes against people than property. In about one-half to two-thirds of homicides and serious assaults, alcohol is present in the offender, the victim or both. Alcohol is often involved in rape and other sexual assaults. Substance Abuse: The Nation's Number One Health Problem, February, 2001

Alcohol can impair motor coordination, balance, attention, perception and judgment. Alcohol abuse may increase the risk for repeated injuries.
Alcoholics are 16 times more likely than others to die in falls, and 10 times more likely to become fire or burn victims.
Estimates suggest that alcohol is associated with between 47% and 65% of adult drowning. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Eighth Special Report

Beer is the drink of choice in most cases of heavy drinking, binge drinking, drunken driving, and underage drinking. Join Together Online, 10/10/01
Researcher Thomas Greenfield found that 5 percent of those who drink consumed 42% of the beer, wine, and spirits. Twenty percent of drinkers account for 89% of the alcohol consumed. Monday Morning Report, Volume 23, Number 19, p. 3, October 4. 1999.