Arielle Cruz
Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are serious issues that affect millions of people worldwide. Alcohol is a major risk factor for premature death, causing over 3 million deaths annually and contributing to 6% of global deaths. Alcohol consumption is linked to various health conditions, including liver disease, heart disease, and cancer, as well as mental health and behavioural disorders. While global data on the prevalence of AUD treatment is incomplete, it is estimated that 400 million people aged 15 and older live with AUD, with 209 million suffering from alcohol dependence. This introduction will explore the impact of alcoholism and AUD, including the number of people diagnosed and the associated health risks.
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What You'll Learn
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) statistics in the US
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a clinical diagnosis of alcoholism or alcohol addiction. Alcohol consumption is found to play a causal role in more than 200 diseases, injuries, and other health conditions. It is associated with significant health risks, including liver diseases, heart diseases, and different types of cancers, as well as mental health and behavioural conditions such as depression and anxiety.
In the United States, according to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 28.9 million people aged 12 and older (10.2% in this age group) had AUD in the past year. This includes 16.8 million males (12.1% of males in this age group) and 12 million females (8.3% of females in this age group). The survey also found that 156,000 American Indian or Alaska Native people (11.6% in this age group), 994,000 Asian people (5.7% in this age group), and 3.3 million Black or African American people (9.6% in this age group) had AUD in the past year.
The NSDUH survey also provides insights into binge drinking, which is defined as consuming at least five drinks for men or four drinks for women in around two hours. According to the 2019 NSDUH, 25.8% of people aged 18 and older reported binge drinking in the past month, and 4.2 million people aged 12 to 20 engaged in binge drinking in the past month, amounting to 11.1% of young people in this age group. Binge drinking is particularly prevalent among college students, with 97,000 sexual assaults involving alcohol among American college students annually.
Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and AUD have severe consequences and contribute significantly to deaths in the US. Alcohol is a significant cause of death, with an estimated 95,000 to 100,000 people dying every year due to alcohol-related causes. Alcoholic liver disease is the leading cause of alcohol-related deaths, responsible for 19.1% of all such fatalities. Furthermore, excessive drinking kills approximately 3,983 Americans under the age of 21 each year, with 75.1% of them being male.
Overall, the statistics highlight the significant impact of AUD in the US, affecting millions of people across different demographic groups and resulting in substantial health, social, and economic consequences.
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Alcohol-related deaths
Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) kill over 3 million people each year, accounting for up to 6% of global deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported 2.6 million deaths per year attributable to alcohol consumption, with 2 million of these deaths occurring among men and 0.6 million among women. The highest levels of alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 persons are observed in the WHO European and African Regions, with 52.9 and 52.2 deaths per 100,000 people, respectively.
Younger people are disproportionately affected by alcohol consumption, with the highest proportion (13%) of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 occurring among people aged 20-39. In the United States, excessive alcohol use leads to about 178,000 deaths each year, with two-thirds of these deaths resulting from chronic conditions that develop from drinking alcohol over time, including several types of cancer, heart disease, liver disease, and alcohol use disorder. The remaining one-third of alcohol-related deaths are from binge drinking or drinking too much on one occasion, including motor vehicle crashes, alcohol-involved drug overdoses, alcohol poisoning, and deaths by suicide.
Alcohol is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Alcohol-related deaths have surged by 30% in recent years, with nearly 3 million Americans suffering from alcohol use disorder. The stigma associated with AUD prevents many from seeking treatment, and the widespread trivialization of excessive alcohol consumption further exacerbates the problem. Proven policies and public education campaigns are needed to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol and make it easier for people to choose to drink less.
Excessive drinking kills nearly 4,000 Americans under the age of 21 each year, with 75.1% of them being male. Alcoholic liver disease is the leading cause of alcohol-related deaths, responsible for 19.1% of all fatalities. Alcohol poisoning is another leading cause, accounting for 32% of acute alcohol-related deaths. Suicides involving alcohol kill more people than car accidents involving alcohol, which make up 16.1% of acute alcohol-related deaths.
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Alcoholism among young people
Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) kill over 3 million people each year, accounting for up to 6% of global deaths. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of several cancers, including breast, liver, head and neck, oesophageal and colorectal cancers. It is also a causal factor in infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV. In 2019, 4.4% of cancers diagnosed globally and 401,000 cancer deaths were attributed to alcohol consumption.
Young people are disproportionately affected by alcohol consumption. The highest proportion (13%) of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 occurred among people aged between 20 and 39 years. Alcohol is a factor in the deaths of thousands of young people every year in the United States. According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 15.1% of adults aged 18 to 25 met the criteria for past-year alcohol use disorder (AUD). Within this age group, 14.5% of full-time college students aged 18 to 25 and 15.3% of other persons of the same age met the AUD criteria.
Females aged 12 to 17 years are 61.5% more likely to have AUD than their male peers. 12.1% of children aged 17 and under live with at least one parent with alcohol use disorder. Among them, 18.7% live in single-parent households. Children living in single-parent households are 47.6% more likely to live with an alcoholic father than an alcoholic mother. 9.3% of single fathers are alcoholics, while 6.3% of single mothers are alcoholics.
Alcoholism in young adults is often linked to co-occurring mental health disorders, including anxiety and PTSD. Treatment for young adults with alcohol use disorder may include individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, life skills programming, and experiential activities like adventure therapy, yoga, art, and music.
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Alcoholism among parents
Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) have serious consequences, killing over 3 million people annually, accounting for 6% of global deaths. Alcoholism among parents can have a wide range of negative impacts on their children, including cognitive, behavioural, psychosocial, and emotional consequences. Research has shown that children living with alcoholic parents are more likely to develop an AUD themselves.
Children of alcoholic parents are regularly exposed to chaos, uncertainty, disorganisation, emotional and/or physical neglect, instability, and arguments. As a result, these children may experience anxiety, depression, antisocial behaviour, relationship difficulties, behavioural issues, and more. They may also face negative academic effects, including low GPAs, failed grades, and poor performance in certain subjects.
Parental alcohol abuse can also influence children's role-modelling behaviours and impair parenting skills, leading to adverse outcomes such as internalising problems (e.g., depression and anxiety) and externalising problems (e.g., delinquency). Additionally, higher levels of parental tolerance of adolescent drinking are associated with an earlier onset of drinking among their children.
It is important to note that the effects of parental alcoholism on children can vary, and not all children will suffer the same consequences to the same extent. Additionally, co-occurring risk factors such as poverty, conflict, and lack of family structure may also contribute to the overall impact on the child. Early intervention and support for both the parents and the children are crucial to mitigating the potential adverse effects of alcoholism among parents.
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Alcoholism by gender
Alcohol abuse, alcoholism, and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are major medical problems affecting both men and women. While men have a higher prevalence of alcoholism, women face a greater risk of alcoholism-related physical damage.
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 10.2% of Americans aged 12 and older had AUD in the past year. This included 12.1% of males and 8.3% of females in this age group. Among adults aged 18 and older, 10.9% had AUD, with a higher prevalence among men (13.2%) compared to 8.7% in women.
In terms of alcohol-related deaths, global statistics from 2019 show that 2 million deaths were among men, while 0.6 million were among women. Men account for 69.1% of alcohol-related deaths in the United States, with a higher proportion of deaths among younger individuals.
Research suggests that the prevalence of AUD and unhealthy alcohol consumption behaviors is increasing among females. Studies have reported a narrowing of the gender gap in alcohol consumption, with a notable increase in alcohol use and binge drinking among women compared to men. For example, a study in South Korea found that females had more than doubled their daily alcohol intake over time.
It is important to note that the reasons behind women's increasing propensity for alcohol consumption and AUD are complex and may be influenced by various factors, including work-home life conflicts, depression, burnout, and social norms.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear exactly how many people are diagnosed with alcoholism each year, but according to the World Health Organization (WHO), 400 million people aged 15 and older live with alcohol use disorders, and 209 million live with alcohol dependence.
The majority of people with alcohol use disorders are male. In 2019, 2 million alcohol-related deaths were men, compared to 600,000 women.
Younger people are disproportionately affected by alcohol consumption. In 2019, the highest proportion of alcohol-attributable deaths (13%) occurred in people aged 20-39. Alcohol consumption can lead to social problems, including family issues, problems at work, financial difficulties, and unemployment.
