{"id":49088,"date":"2022-02-24T18:35:02","date_gmt":"2022-02-24T23:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=49088"},"modified":"2026-03-27T15:17:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T19:17:38","slug":"alcohol-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/news\/alcohol-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"Alcohol statistics"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is alcohol?<\/a> | How common is alcohol consumption?<\/a> | Alcohol stats by age<\/a> | Underage drinking stats<\/a> | Binge drinking stats<\/a> | Drunk driving stats<\/a> | Fetal alcohol syndrome stats<\/a> | Alcohol and COVID-19 stats<\/a> | Alcohol abuse stats<\/a> | Common complications<\/a> | Costs<\/a> | Causes of alcohol use disorder<\/a> | Prevention<\/a> | Treatment<\/a> | FAQs<\/a> | Research<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Although alcohol is often viewed as a recreational substance, it can have devastating consequences when abused. <\/span>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/span><\/a> (CDC), excessive alcohol consumption is linked to 95,000 fatalities in the United States every year. This makes it a leading preventable cause of death in the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Men are more likely than women to consume alcohol heavily<\/span><\/a>, and excessive drinking is most common among people ages 18 to 34 years old. Despite the devastating consequences, many people still abuse alcohol regularly. Not only can it cause chronic physical health issues, but it can also destroy personal relationships with loved ones.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alcohol is also a tremendous economical burden. It has been estimated that alcohol abuse costs the United States <\/span>billions of dollars in lost workplace productivity<\/span><\/a> and extra healthcare expenses every year. The expenses are not limited to loss of wages, either; they can also involve legal fees and fines for crimes committed under the influence of alcohol.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is alcohol?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Alcohol<\/span><\/a> is a colorless liquid produced by the fermentation of yeast, sugars, and starches. Its active ingredient, ethanol, causes intoxication. Most alcohol consumed in the U.S. is beer or wine, but it can also be found in other alcoholic drinks, such as cocktails and liquor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAlcohol, as a central nervous system depressant, is the most commonly consumed \u2018substance\u2019 in the world,\u201d says Ginny Mills, a licensed clinical addiction specialist, owner of <\/span>Full Life Counseling<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>Parenting Through Addiction<\/span><\/a>, and author of <\/span>Parenting Through Your Adult Child’s Addiction<\/span><\/i>. \u201c[Alcohol] is a lethal substance for about 10% of the American population.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What may begin as <\/span>light drinking<\/span><\/a>, around three drinks per week or less, can quickly escalate. Moderate drinking refers to having four to seven drinks per week. Heavy drinking is defined as more than seven drinks per week for women and more than 14 drinks per week for men.<\/span><\/p>\n

Excessive drinking increases the risk of developing an addiction to alcohol as well as numerous health problems, such as heart disease and liver damage. In addition to these risks, excessive drinking may make a person more likely to engage in risky behaviors that place them at further risk for health complications or causing harm to others.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those who abuse alcohol may show signs of intoxication or experience withdrawal symptoms after they stop drinking alcohol. Intoxication refers to not being fully aware of one’s actions due to alcohol consumption. Withdrawal is the set of signs and symptoms that occur when a person stops consuming alcohol after a period of excessive drinking. These symptoms include sweating, shaking hands, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and anxiety. Withdrawal can also cause seizures in severe cases.<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/b>10 drugs you should not drink with alcohol<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

How common is alcohol consumption?<\/span><\/h2>\n