It’s pretty common to pre-game (pre-party) before you go out drinking and then finish the night with a drink at home because hey, “The night is young,” right? Huh. Some parents think it’s more responsible to allow their teens to host parties in their home, using their alcohol, than to leave them to find another host because they’d, “…rather have them drinking under my roof, with my supervision.” Interesting… These are just some thoughts that are swirling around in my head at the moment as I learn about alcohol consumption in the U.S.
The following statistics on alcoholism might surprise you. Some of them surprised us. While most people are safe and responsible drinkers, statistics show that the minority who consume excess quantities on a regular basis have an impact that “ripples outward to encompass their families, friends, and communities,” according to information published by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). There are abundant, compelling alcoholism facts that point to the health risks and impact of the disease.
Here are some highlights.
About 48 percent of persons aged 12 and over in the U.S. are drinkers. This translates to an estimated 109 million people.
Nearly 18 million Americans meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism.
Each day, 7000 children in the U.S. under the age of 16 take their first drink.
More than 35 percent of adults with an alcohol problem developed symptoms such as binge drinking by age 19.
Alcohol–related crashes account for 41 percent of all fatal car accidents. Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes kill someone every 31 minutes and non fatally injure someone every two minutes.
The economic costs of alcohol abuse in the U.S. are estimated to be approximately $185 billion annually.
Quick, what are your first thoughts and feelings about drinking in the U.S. after reading those statistics? Do they seem extravagant or spot on? What is your experience with alcohol consumption? Leave a note in the comments section below. Cheers.
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