Alcoholism & Drug Addiction

STATISTICS

General Statistics

» In the United States, 17.6 million people--about l in every 12 adults--abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent
» The World Health Organization (WHO) reports as of Feb, 2011 that alcohol is to blame for 2.5 million deaths annually
» Alcohol is the leading risk factor in deaths of males aged 15-59
» Relatively few of the more than 17 million US alcohol abusers receive treatment
» Most alcoholics in the US seeking treatment are in the 26-34 age group
» Alcohol dependence and abuse costs the US $220 billion a year
» Over 3 million people in the United States use Cocaine
» More than 10 million people abuse prescription medications in the United States
» As of early 2011, Oxycontin and Xanax have become the 2 most abused prescription drugs
» 9% of high school seniors reported using Cocaine
» 90% of cocaine users smoked, drank, or used marijuana before trying Cocaine
» Near half of all drug related emergency room visits are due to Cocaine abuse
» Nearly 1,000,000 people in the US need treatment for heroin addiction
» Heroin addicts spend between $150 to $200 per day to maintain their addiction
» 1 out of 2 people knows someone who is in recovery from addiction to alcohol and drugs
» Fewer than 20% of Americans say they would think less of someone if they discovered that person is in recovery

Affects of Alcohol/Alcoholism by Age Group

» 25.9% of underage alcohol abusers drink 47.3% of the alcohol consumed by underage drinkers
» A staggering half-a-million US children aged 9 to 12 are addicted to alcohol
» In 2002, 2.6 million binge drinkers were between the ages of 12 and 17
» Alcohol is the drug most frequently used by 12 to 17 year-olds
» Young people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin drinking at or after age 21
» Of all ethnic groups, Hispanic teens of middle school age are more likely to drink or use marijuana
» One quarter of teens and young adults engage in binge drinking
» Just under 13.8 million US adults have issues with alcohol, and 8.1 million of them officially suffer from alcoholism
» Women are more likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver and violence caused by alcohol abuse, AND die 11 years earlier than their male counterparts
» 3 million US citizens over the age of 60 abuse alcohol or require it to function normally

Family Statistics

» 6.5 million minors in the US live with an alcoholic mother or father
» 40% of alcoholism is passed down through the gene pool.
» Approximately 53% of adults in the US have reported that one or more of their close relatives has a drinking problem

Specific Health Issues

» Alcohol is a causal factor in 60 types of diseases and injuries
» Drinking excessively year after year may cause pancreatitis and increases the likelihood of developing cancer of the throat, liver, kidneys, rectum and esophagus
» One out of every five alcoholics who attempt to stop drinking without medical intervention end up dying as a result of alcohol withdrawal delirium
» 68% of those people who come to an emergency room have an alcohol or drug problem
» 20% of suicide victims in the US are alcoholics
» Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is the leading known cause of mental retardation—and the most preventable of all birth defects
» Approximately 50,00 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year in the US
» A blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.5% can cause the heartbeat to be anesthetized and can result in death

Alcohol and Law Enforcement

» More than 40 people die daily from drunk driving, that's approximately 16,000 people a year
» Half a million people were injured in crashes where police reported that alcohol was present This is an average of one individual injured every two minutes in an alcohol related accident
» 50% of US homicides are alcohol related
» 60% of all people in prison are incarcerated for drug related charges
» 85% of the estimated 2.3 million prison inmates have a serious drug abuse history
» Over 25% prisoners were under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they committed their crimes
» Drugs are involved in a wide range of crimes - Violent: 78%, Property 83%, Weapons 77%, and Parole Violations 77%

For the sake of your whole family, call Compass Interventions at 1.855.200.HOPE (4673) and allow us to help your loved one begin a journey toward a new life.