Alcohol Consumption Surveys

Statistics

Alcohol consumption surveys have been structured to collect and report information regarding alcohol consumption in the U.S. population. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) conducts surveys on drug and alcohol consumption of U.S. consumers from different demographic (such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and employment), geographic, and other variables. A 2008 survey report shows that 51.6 percent, or about 129 million Americans age 12 and older, consume alcohol. Approximately 23 percent of those groups are binge drinkers (with blood alcohol concentration 0.08 grams or above), and 7 percent are heavy drinkers (those who consume an average of more than two drinks per day). Of all ethnicities, white Americans have the highest (56 percent), and Asian Americans have the lowest (37 percent) percentage of self-reported alcohol use. These survey statistics also provide information about alcohol-related deaths, injuries, and other health problems.

Underage drinking continues to prevail in the United States. The percentage of male and female drinkers ages 12 to 17 is similar, at 14–15 percent. However, in the age group of 18–25, the percentage of male drinkers (64 percent) is higher than that of females (58 percent). A number of national surveys have confirmed that three-fourths of 12th graders, more than two-thirds of 10th graders, and about two in every five 8th graders have consumed alcohol. According to a survey by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), each year, approximately 5,000 people under the age of 21 die of alcohol-related causes. This statistic includes approximately 1,900 deaths from car crashes, 1,600 deaths from homicide, 300 deaths from suicide, and hundreds from other injuries such as falls, burns, and drowning. Data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) show that teens who drank alcohol at an early age were at greater risk of developing alcohol dependence in adulthood.

Beyond the NIAAA's national-level surveys, many online and off-line surveys have been conducted in colleges and universities to learn about alcohol consumption among college-level students and the implications on campuses. These surveys include questions regarding campus culture, alcohol control policies, enforcement policies, availabilities, pricing, marketing, and special promotions of alcohol. They provide valuable information for the authorities to intervene to prevent drinking and alcohol-related consequences among students. The data further showed that the students who drank at “non-extreme” levels and not in the “high risk” group were harmed the most.

Some of the problems related to alcohol consumption as reported by the college students are missing classes, poor performance on tests, being injured, having arguments or fights, having trouble with authorities, getting arrested, damaging property, sexual assault, and drunk driving. The availability and effectiveness of appropriate programs and laws, such as “No drinking and driving,” was shown to save the lives of underage drinkers, adults, and the people around them. The percentage of people 12 and older driving under the influence of alcohol dropped from 14 percent in 2002 to 12 percent in 2008.

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