Statistics Don't Lie

General alcoholism statistics Professionals estimate that 40% of the population will have an addiction problem at some point in their life (alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc). An alcoholic or addict will significantly impact an average of 4-5 other lives (family, friends, associates, etc.) while under the influence of the disease. The odds of an alcoholic or addict quitting drinking or using alcohol "on their own" without professional help or regular recovery meetings is 1 in 50,000. Alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths annually 8.1 million people are alcoholic Most alcoholics seeking treatment are in the 26-34 age group 3.1 million Americans -- approximately 1.4% of the population 12 and older -- received treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems in 1997 3 million Americans over the age of 60 are alcoholics or have serious drinking problems 10% of the U.S. population’s drinkers drink 50% of all alcohol consumed 66% of the population consumes alcohol 13.8 million Americans - more than 7% of the population 18 years and older have problems with drinking Alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in this country 20% of suicide victims are alcoholic Driving Under the Influence On average, one alcohol-related traffic accident occurs every 30 minutes 79% of fatal crashes occurring from midnight to three in the morning involve alcohol In 2002 an estimated 17,419 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes Weekends account for 54% of fatal crashes as compared to 32% during the week The highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes in 2001 was recorded for drivers 21-24 years old (33%), followed by ages 25-34 (28%) and 35-44 (25%) More than 500,000 people were injured in crashes involving alcohol One person is injured in an alcohol related accident approximately every two minutes. Beer accounted for most of the alcohol related fatalities in traffic accidents 30 % of Americans will be involved in an alcohol-related crash at some time in their lives Family and related alcohol statistics 6.6 million children under the age of 18 live in households with at least one alcoholic parent Accidents and suicides associated with alcohol problems are prominent during teen years 50% of all traffic fatalities and 33% of all traffic injuries are related to alcohol About 43% of U.S. adults are exposed to alcoholism in the family by a direct relation or as someone they know in the family 53 percent of men and women in the United States report that one or more of their close relatives have a drinking problem. Nearly 14 million Americans abuse alcohol or are alcoholic About 43% of adults in the U.S. have had a parent, child, sibling or spouse who is or was an alcoholic