Alcohol Statistics and Trends

This is an article on the stats and trends of alcohol consumption and addiction in the United States. According to the most recent data available, excessive alcohol use is now responsible for 178,000 deaths a year, with nearly one-third of these deaths due to binge drinking.

Colder and darker climates are associated with heavier alcohol consumption, more frequent instances of alcohol poisoning, and a high risk for alcohol-related car crashes. Not only are people more likely to drink, they are more likely to drink in greater quantities, more often, and in dangerous ways. Inclement weather and poor driving conditions make drunk driving during winter even more dangerous, and the cold weather has the potential to prevent drinkers from being as aware of how much they’ve consumed and the effect the alcohol is having on them.

It’s not often discussed, but the frequency with which alcohol is consumed and the volume by which it is consumed have both increased considerably in recent years. Further, newly published research suggests a direct connection between increased frequency and volume of consumption and a newly reported increase in alcoholic liver disease fatalities, as such fatalities now represent nearly half of all annual liver-related fatalities.

New research shows about one-third of substance-related auto accidents between two moving vehicles are caused by intoxicated drivers over 70, even though people in that age group do not comprise one-third of all drivers on the road.

Statistically, Generation Z has been consuming less alcohol than Millennials, Gen X, or Baby Boomers. There could be myriad reasons for this, but it would be worthwhile to examine the cultural shift and attempt to isolate some of the reasons why young people consume less alcohol than previous generations...

Research from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows about one in eight children live in a household where at least one of their parents regularly abuses drugs and alcohol. Given what is known about the intergenerational nature of addiction, this means at least 12.5% of U.S. youths are at extremely high risk for developing addiction later in life simply as a result of their at-home living situation.

During the pandemic, admissions to addiction treatment centers dropped by about 25%. That same year, fatal drug overdoses hit the highest year-over-year increase ever recorded, a 30% spike according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These findings suggest that having access to drug rehab is truly lifesaving.

Drug addiction affects everyone differently. While such a crisis is unique to the individual, certain demographics face challenges one might not find elsewhere. For example, military veterans who become addicted to drugs and alcohol often feel disinclined to discuss their problems or seek addiction treatment.

Addiction is such a pervasive problem in America that one in eight Americans suffer from this problem. Grasping the extent of the problem is a vital first step to resolving it successfully.