Alcoholism Statistics

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

Focusing on the alcoholism statistics that are available, it is asserted, is one of the more instructive ways to analyze alcoholism and its associated factors. 

Why Are Alcoholism Statistics Necessary?

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

As a result, the following alcoholism statistics, retrieved from various online surveys and research studies, will be listed:

• 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 cancer ($196 billion) and obesity ($133 billion).
  
  
• The 25.9% of underage drinkers who are alcohol abusers and alcohol dependent drink 47.3% of the alcohol that is consumed by all underage drinkers.
  
  
• Long-term excessive drinking can lead to pancreatitis (that is, an inflammation of the pancreas).  Pancreatitis is associated with severe abdominal pain and excessive weight loss and can result in death.
  
  
• Alcoholism can increase the risk for certain cancers, especially those of the throat, voice box (larynx), liver, colon, kidneys, rectum, and the esophagus.  Excessive drinking can also cause immune system problems, brain damage, harm to the fetus during pregnancy, and cirrhosis of the liver.
  
  
• Approximately 43% of American adults have had a child, parent, sibling or spouse who is or was an alcoholic.
  
  
• 3 million Americans over the age of 60 are alcohol-dependent or alcohol abusers.
  
  
• In the United States, almost three times as many men (9.8 million) as women (3.9 million) abuse alcohol or are alcohol-dependent.
  
  
• In a study of more than 450 American alcoholics and 80 heroin addicts, it was found that the absent father is a very typical occurrence.  In fact, according to this study, it is the rule rather than the exception.

• 6.6 million American children under the age of 18 live in homes with at least one alcoholic parent.
  
  
• Approximately 14 million people in the United States are addicted to alcohol or abuse alcohol.
  
  
• More than one-half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcohol addiction.
  
  
• More than seven percent of the population ages 18 years and older -- nearly 13.8 million Americans -- have problems with drinking, including 8.1 million people who suffer from alcoholism.
  
  
• Individuals in stable marriages have the lowest incidence of lifetime prevalence of alcoholism (8.9%) as opposed to co-habiting adults who have never been married (29.2%).
  
  
• Approximately one in four children is exposed to family alcoholism, addiction, or alcohol abuse some time before the age of 18.

• More alcoholism is being found in the elderly now that more baby boomers are retiring.
  
  
• In general, unmarried workers (divorced, separated or never married) have about twice the rate of alcoholism or alcohol abuse as married workers.
  
  
• Classical alcoholism takes about 15 years to develop, but it can happen much quicker in adolescents and young adults.
  
  
• 20% of alcoholics who try to quit drinking on their own without medical management die of alcohol withdrawal delirium.
  
  
• Individuals with drinking problems or alcoholism at any time in their lives suffer income reductions ranging from 1.5% to 18.7% depending on age and sex compared with those with no such diagnosis.
  
  
• Non-alcoholic members of alcoholic's families use 10 times as much sick leave as families where alcohol is not a problem. 80% of these family members report their ability to perform work is impaired as a result of living with an alcohol abuser.
  
  
• Generally, alcoholism is caused by 40% genetic factors and the remaining 60% by factors we don’t understand.
  
  
• Research indicates that children of alcoholic parents are at greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholics.
  
  
• 500,000 Americans who are dependent on alcohol are between the ages of 9 and 12.  

Alcoholism Statistics:  Conclusion

It can be concluded from the alcoholism statistics articulated above that alcoholism is truly an equal opportunity destroyer. That is, alcoholism adversely affects people from every occupation, nationality, political party, income group, religious affiliation, race, and gender. 

As a result, it is important for every child, adolescent, and adult in our society to learn about alcoholism so that they can avoid the damaging and debilitating consequences of this devastating disease.

Finally, after reviewing the appalling alcoholism statistics described above, it is now more understandable why various people have labeled alcoholism as "the silent killer" and "the silent stalker."

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