Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol Consumption

South Carolina has more alcohol-related deaths per capita than the average state, and those deaths are 18.1% more likely to involve underage drinkers. Nebraska ranks below average in the rate of alcohol-related deaths per capita but above average in underage deaths. Kentucky is a statistical anomaly with a low rate of underage drinking deaths and a low rate of chronic causes.

Drinking Among Adolescents in 2020 – Annual Monitoring the Future Survey

Measuring the health impact by mortality alone fails to capture the impact that alcohol use disorders have on an individual’s well-being. The ‘disease burden’ – measured in Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) – considers mortality and years lived with disability or health burden. The map shows DALYs per 100,000 people, which result from alcohol use disorders. In the chart, we see data across some countries on the share of people with an alcohol use disorder who received treatment. This data is based on estimates of prevalence and treatment published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Alcohol use disorder treatment

Unless otherwise stated, the statistics mentioned below are referenced from data sources created from 2018–2021. Copyright © 2025, AddictionHelp.com The information provided by AddictionHelp.com is not a substitute for professional medical advice. View our editorial content guidelines to learn how we create helpful content with integrity and compassion. More Americans have used alcohol in the past year than any other drug or tobacco product. The data produced by third parties and made available by Our World in Data is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors.

Shifting alcohol availability, accessibility, and coping strategies drove higher consumption

In the chart, we see the prevalence of alcohol dependence versus the average per capita alcohol consumption. There is no clear evidence that high overall consumption (particularly in moderate quantities) is connected to the onset of alcohol dependency. This interactive map shows the annual average alcohol consumption of alcohol, expressed per person aged 15 years or older. To account for https://www.iloveearth.us/overwhelmed-by-the-complexity-of-this-may-help-8/ the differences in alcohol content of different alcoholic drinks (e.g., beer, wine, spirits), this is reported in liters of pure alcohol per year.

Both excessive drinking and alcohol-related deaths are becoming all too commonplace—and women are facing a unique set of societal pressures and health concerns. It’s important to know that even having one drink daily (within the advisable moderate drinking guideline for women) is linked to a higher risk of chronic disease like cirrhosis. So practicing mindful drinking habits and daily liver health practices is a good place to start. Understanding these patterns can inform alcohol policies, public health messaging, and responses to future crises. The Center also reports that alcohol poisoning causes over 2,200 deaths annually in the United States.

• An estimated 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related injuries, according to the most recent numbers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
• Over 14 million adults in the U.S. had an alcohol use disorder in 2020, according to the NIAAA.
• Some types of alcoholics drink more than 12 beers each day, and some people who drink that much never develop an alcohol use disorder.
• This chart is shown for the global total but can be explored for any country or region using the “Change country or region” toggle.
• Some national organizations define binge drinking as having 4 or 5 alcoholic drinks within 2 hours.

Demographics Most Affected by Alcohol Abuse

Globally, the age-standardized death rate https://americanbuilt.us/doing-the-right-way-5/ has declined from approximately 40 deaths per 100,000 people in the early 1990s to 30 deaths per 100,000 in 2019. Both are measured in terms of pure alcohol/ethanol intake rather than the total quantity of the beverage. Wine contains around 12% pure alcohol per volume, so that one liter of wine contains 0.12 liters of pure alcohol. This pattern of drinking is often termed ‘binging,’ where individuals consume large amounts of alcohol within a single session versus small quantities more frequently. In a related chart, you can see the share who drink alcohol by gender and age group in the UK.

These therapies help individuals understand their triggers, develop coping mechanisms, and build motivation to stay sober. The societal toll of alcohol addiction underscores the importance of prevention and treatment efforts. Understanding these physical risks can be a powerful motivator for those struggling with alcohol addiction to seek help. The earlier one addresses the issue, the better the chances of preventing irreversible damage to the body.

Report on the topic

People who start drinking at a young age are more likely to form an alcohol use disorder later in life. Additionally, people who begin drinking before age 15 are 5x more likely to develop alcohol use disorder than those who waited until age 21 to start. Of the four ways that people drink excessively, binge drinking is the most common.

Informed by her personal journey to recovery and support of loved ones in sobriety, Jessica’s empathetic and authentic approach resonates deeply with the Addiction Help community. While men are more likely to abuse alcohol, women who abuse alcohol have the added complication of potential pregnancy. They include deaths where the primary (or underlying) cause of death listed on the death certificate was one of 58 alcohol-related causes. Alcohol-related deaths increased among all age groups (during 2020–2021) from just a few years earlier (2016–2017). Alcohol is one of the most widely available and easily accessible addictive substances. However, people are often unable or unwilling to drink responsibly, and many of them experience serious consequences.

Louisiana has the nation’s highest rate of under-21 drinkers among its alcohol-related deaths. Alcohol-related deaths in Kansas are slightly more likely to involve males and underage drinkers. Statistics indicate Georgia has a higher rate of underage drinkers than the majority of states. Florida has an elevated alcohol-related death rate but one of the lowest rates of under-21 deaths. Alaska has the nation’s second-highest number of alcohol-related deaths per capita.

Global data on the prevalence and effectiveness of alcohol use disorder treatment is incomplete. We see that the proportion of deaths attributed to alcohol consumption is lower in North Africa and the Middle East and much higher in Eastern Europe. Alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for a number of health conditions, and potential mortality cases. Alcohol consumption has a causal impact on more than 200 health conditions (diseases and injuries). With the change country feature, it is possible to view the same data for other countries. Sweden, for example, increased the share of wine consumption and, therefore, reduced the share of spirits.

• Arecent 2019 studyfound that adding an additional 3.61 years of schooling generally led to a 50% reduced risk of alcohol dependence.
• Wine contains around 12% pure alcohol per volume1 so that one liter of wine contains 0.12 liters of pure alcohol.
• The prevalence of excessive drinking among women rose by about 35% during the time of this study compared to a 27% rise among men.
• Alcohol-related deaths increased among all age groups (during 2020–2021) from just a few years earlier (2016–2017).
• Firefighters also reported drinking alcoholten days per month on average, or about half of their off-duty days.

It is well understood that alcohol impacts thebrain’s ability to function. Since the brain is not fully developed until the age of 25, young adults should exercise caution when consuming alcohol. Both young adults (18-25) and adults (26 and older) report the highest rate of current alcohol use relative to older adults (65 and older) or teenagers (12-17). But people who aren’t familiar with the substance can lose control of how much they drink. The total estimated number of deaths by country from 1990 to 2019 is found here.

Data on the prevalence of binge drinking by age and gender in the UK can be found here, and trends in heavy and binge drinking in the USA can be found here. Heavy episodic drinking is defined as the proportion of adult drinkers who have had at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. An intake of 60 grams of pure alcohol is approximately equal to 6 standard alcoholic drinks. As the map shows, the average per capita alcohol consumption varies widely globally.