Alcoholism by the Numbers

I post statistics on alcoholism here from time to time as an eye-opener. Most people see only commercials or ads depicting people drinking alcohol and having a good time, and for the majority of people that’s mostly true, but for the millions who become addicted to alcohol, drinking is anything but a good time — the horrors of alcoholism aren’t advertised. The statistics come from Alcohol.org.  

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a clinical diagnosis of alcoholism, or alcohol addiction.¹ The 2019 NSDUH estimated that 14.5 million people ages 12 and older had an AUD. According to the same data, an estimated 414,000 adolescents ages 12 to 17 had an AUD.¹

What’s really amazing is that only about 10 percent of those who need help receive treatment. That means 90% of people who suffer from alcoholism will never receive addiction treatment. The symptoms will be treated by medical professionals, like liver disease and pancreatitis, but there will be no addiction treatment to treat the fundamental problem of alcoholism. Untreated alcoholism has consequences other than medical consequences:

In the U.S., the economic cost of excessive alcohol use is estimated to be around $29 billion in 2010, with $179 billion in workplace productivity costs, $28 billion in medical costs, $25 billion in criminal justice costs, and $13 billion in motor vehicle collisions.²

The saddest consequence is premature death:

Alcohol is a significant cause of death in the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 95,000 people die every year due to alcohol-related causes. That’s an average of 261 deaths per day.³ NIAAA reports that alcohol-related deaths are on the rise. The most recent statistics from NIAAA indicate that alcohol-related deaths increased from 35,914 in 1999 to 72,558 in 2017.⁴

In 2019, the CDC reports that the number of deaths due to alcoholic liver disease was 24,110, while the number of alcohol-induced deaths, not counting accidents and homicides, was 39,043.⁵

The truth is that alcoholism is treatable. Quality addiction treatment can help alcoholics remain abstinent from alcohol and prevent the many unnecessary consequences. We should make it easier for people to receive treatment when they have a problem with alcohol, instead of shaming them or ignoring the problem. Go to our resources page for more information.