Understanding alcohol addiction

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), in 2019, over 60% of Americans admitted to having drunk alcohol in the past year, though most would not say they had an alcohol problem. It is possible to consume alcohol without being an alcoholic; however, if your life is negatively affected by alcohol, you may have an alcohol use disorder (AUD).

General alcohol abuse statistics

Over 14.5 million people aged 12 and over struggle with an alcohol use disorder in the United States
Less than 10% of those receive treatment or attend rehabilitation centers
More than 65 million Americans report binge drinking or heavy drinking in a one-month period, which is more than 40% of those who drink alcohol
In 2018, there were 10,511 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities, totaling 29% of all traffic fatalities for the year
Teen alcohol use kills 4,700 people each year, more than all illegal drugs combined.

Alcohol abuse statistics for women

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), more than 5.3 million women aged 18 and older have an alcohol use disorder
Approximately half of women of childbearing age drink, and 18% of women in this group binge drink (drinking on average five drinks per binge)
More than 45% of all adult women report drinking alcohol in the last month, and 12% of these report binge drinking
Alcohol addiction in women has increased by 83.7% between 2002 and 2013, according to a 2017 study sponsored by the NIAAA
“High-risk” drinking in women, defined as more than three drinks in a day or more than seven in a week, is on the rise, with an increase of 58% between 2001 and 2011 according to the 2017 study by the NIAAA
Experts estimate that approximately 40,000 babies may be born with a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) in the United States each year, and up to 8,000 of those with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Alcohol abuse statistics for men

Nearly 60% of adult men report drinking alcohol in the last month; with 23% of them reporting binge drinking five or more times per month

Men are twice as likely to binge drink as women
Approximately 8.4% of men met the criteria for alcohol dependence in the last year
Men are nearly twice as likely as women to drink-drive and be involved in fatal motor vehicle traffic accidents while under the influence of alcohol
Men are more likely than women to die by suicide while under the influence of alcohol
Male-dominated professions and businesses often have higher rates of alcohol-related problems than female-led ones

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)