Facts On Alcoholism
FACTS ON ALCOHOLISM AND ALCOHOL-RELATED PROBLEMS
Alcoholism is a chronic, progressive and potentially fatal disease characterized by tolerance and physical dependency or pathological organ changes, or both.
Alcoholism and alcohol abuse occur in every socio-economic group, although the problems may manifest themselves differently across groups.
Alcoholism is one of the most serious problems in the United States today. Among the 18.3 adult “heavier drinkers” (those consuming more than 14 drinks per week) 12.1 million have one or more symptoms of alcoholism, an increase of 8.2 percent since 1980.
Alcohol is the most widely used-and abused-drug in America. In 1981, the equivalent of 2.77 gallons of absolute alcohol was sold per person over the age of 14. This is about 591 12-oz. cans of beer, 115 fifths of table wine or 35 fifths of 80 proof whiskey, gin, or vodka. A tenth of the drinking population consumes half the alcoholic beverages sold.
Alcohol abuse accounts for over 98,000 deaths annually. This includes cirrhosis and other medical consequences, alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents and alcohol-related homicides, suicides, and non-motor vehicle accidents.
116.7 billion was the economic cost to the nation resulting from alcohol abuse and alcoholism in 1983.
Alcoholism treatment reduces total health care costs. In a study of over 20 million claim records between 1980 and 1983, alcoholic families used health care services and incurred costs at twice the rate of similar families with no known alcoholic members. The average alcoholic’s treatment cost was offset by reductions in other health care costs within 2 to 3 years following the start of treatment.
Alcohol is known to contribute to other fatal illnesses, including cardiac myopathy, hypertensive disease, pneumonia and several types of cancer.
One out of three American adults-56 million Americans-says that alcohol abuse has brought trouble to his or her family. This is about four times the number of families that say that other drugs have troubled their homes.
Chronic brain injury caused by alcohol is second only to Alzheimer’s disease as a known cause of mental deterioration in adults. Alcoholic mental deterioration is not progressive. If the patient stops drinking, the deterioration is arrested and substantial recovery can occur.
Children of alcoholics have a four times greater risk of developing alcoholism than children of non-alcoholics. There are 28.6 million children of aloholics in the U.S. today, 6.6 million of whom are under the age of 18.
Genetic influence is identifiable in at least 35 to 40 percent of alcoholics and alcohol abusers, and it affects both men and women. People with family histories involving parental alcohol abuse face increased risk. Furthermore, many types of alcohol abuse may exist, each with its own genetic predisposition interacting with a particular environment.
An estimated 3.3 million drinking teenagers aged 14 to 17 are showing signs that they may develop serious alcohol-related problems.
Recent surveys in the United States indicate that the first drinking experience today usually occurs around age 12, in contrast to ages 13-14 in the 1940’s and 1950’s. It is no longer unusual for 10-12 year olds to have serious alcohol abuse problems.
Since 1966, the number of high school students nationwide intoxicated at least once a month has more than doubled, from 10 percent to more than 20 percent.
Most youth begin to drink in adolescence. A recent study on adolescent alcohol abuse relevant to prevention efforts found that alcohol is the most widely used drug by youth between the ages of 12 and 17.
About 30 percent of fourth grade respondents to a 1983 “Weekly Reader” poll reported peer pressure to drink beer, wine, or liquor.
Of 27,000 New York public school students, grades 7 through 12, 11 percent described themselves as being “hooked” on alcohol.
By ninth grade, more than half (56 percent) of high school seniors, responding to a 1982 national survey had tried alcohol. By their senior year, more than 9 out of 10 had done so.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the third leading cause of birth defects with accompanying mental retardation, and the only preventable one among the top three. The incidence of FAS is approximately 1 in 750 live births, or 4,800 babies per year in recent years. Thirty-six thousand newborns each year may be affected by a wide range of less severe alcohol-related fetal alcohol effects (FAE).
Women frequently engage in the high risk practice of abusing other drugs in combination with alcohol. In a 1983 Alcoholics Anonymous survey, 40 percent of female A.A. members reported addiction to another drug. The number increased to 64 percent for women 30 years and under.
In 1984 there were 44,241 highway traffic deaths, of which 23,500 (53 percent) were alcohol-related.
About 65 out of every 100 persons in the U.S. will be in an alcohol-related crash in their lifetimes.
Alcohol-related highway deaths are the number one killer of 15-24-year-olds.
Alcohol is a contributing factor in at least 15,000 fatal and six million nonfatal injuries in non-highway settings.
Between 400 and 800 boating fatalities annually involve alcohol. Alcohol is implicated in from 65 to 69 percent of all reported drownings.
Alcoholics are 10 times more likely to die from fires than non-alcoholics, 5 to 13 times more likely to die from falls, and commit suicide from 6 to 15 times more frequently than the general population.
Drinking is estimated to be involved in about 50 percent of spouse abuse cases and up to 38 percent of child abuse cases.
Fifty-four percent of jail inmates convicted of violent crimes were drinking before they committed the offense. Sixty-two percent of those convicted of assualt had been drinking. Forty-nine percent of those convicted of murder or attempted murder had been drinking.
Between 2 and 10 percent of people 65 and over experience some type of alcohol-related problem. Approximately 25 percent of the 65-plus population is on some form of medication. By most measures, older people consume more medication than any other age group, putting them at high risk for drug and alcohol interaction.
Revised 2/86
The above has been taken from a leaflet published by the National Council on Alcoholism, Inc., 12 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10010, (212) 206-6770.
NCA was founded in 1944 to prevent and reduce problems of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. NCA’s network of 184 state and local affiliates conduct similar activities in their areas and provide information and referral services to families and individuals with a drinking problem.
Call or write for further information.
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