Relevance Of Alcoholism Statistics
In order to understand the behavior of alcoholics better as well as determine trends regarding alcohol use, surveys are conducted from time to time. From the data gathered, alcoholism statistics are obtained. These data are usually categorized based on certain demographic groups such as gender and age. Some of the more credible sources of alcoholism statistics are different government agencies that monitor the behavioral pattern of a population with regards to alcohol consumption.
In a recent survey conducted by the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health (NHSDU), alcoholism statistics were categorized in three levels namely: for males, for females and for all respondents from all ages. The time frame of the study encompasses the past thirty days. In the study, binge drinking was defined as 5 or more drinks that were taken on the same event or within minutes of each other. Heavy drinking, meanwhile, was defined as having 5 or more drinks in 5 or more days within the current month. Based on these surveys, one in three adults does binge drinking. This behavior pattern has been the same in the United States since the 1980s. Binge drinking is also shown to be highest for the 18 to 25 years age group. Even if smaller amounts of alcohol are consumed in binge drinking, its adverse effects are still alarming. Some of these are injuries, alcohol poisoning, hypertension, myocardial infarction, pancreatitis and gastritis. On the other hand, surveys showed that almost fifty percent of adults aged 18 to 25 years old are heavy alcohol user. Heavy drinking has serious health implications because they are often related to chronic health problems such as liver cirrhosis, gastrointestinal cancers, heart disease or stroke.
Aside from determining trends of alcohol use, alcoholism statistics are also used to support different theories on alcoholism. The theory that alcoholism is hereditary had been the subject of many past researches. From the data gathered, it was revealed that 25% of relatives of alcoholics also became alcoholics. The National Institute of Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse (NIAAA) further contended that one out of four children in the United States deal with alcoholic relatives before they reach the age of 18.
Alcoholism statistics may also be used to measure the effect or extent of other societal problems that stemmed from alcoholism. According to Dr. Robert Perkinson, a clinical director of an alcoholism treatment center in the United States, alcoholism has become a national disaster. According to him, younger and younger people have become alcohol users through the years. He also disclosed that 50% of traffic deaths and homicides have something to do with alcohol. He also revealed that among state prisoners, almost half of them consumed alcohol immediately before they committed their crime. He also stressed the importance of undergoing alcoholism treatment by saying that 95% of those who do not undergo treatment die due to their alcohol addiction. Other alcoholism statistics also reveal the cost of alcohol in monetary terms. In 1998, for example, the cost of alcohol abuse was pegged at $185 billion.
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