* Over 22 million individuals have a substance dependence or abuse problem in the US. (SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) 2006
* Nearly 14 million Americans meet diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorders. (Alcohol Health & Research World)
* More than 100,000 U.S. deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke. (Substance Abuse: The Nation's Number One Health Problem, Feb. 2001)
* There were over 17,000 alcohol related car deaths in US in 2005. (
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov)
* Traffic crashes are the greatest single cause of death for persons aged 6-33. About 45% of these fatalities are in alcohol-related crashes. (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)
* Alcohol kills 6½ times more youth than all other illicit drugs combined. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)
* 61% of adults drink alcohol in the US. (
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm)
Annual Causes of Death in the United States
Tobacco 435,000
Poor Diet and Physical Inactivity 365,000
Alcohol 85,000
Microbial Agents 75,000
Toxic Agents 55,000
Motor Vehicle Crashes 26,347
Adverse Reactions to Prescription Drugs 32,000
Suicide 30,622
Incidents Involving Firearms 29,000
Homicide 20,308
Sexual Behaviors 20,000
All Illicit Drug Use, Direct and Indirect 17,000
Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Such As Aspirin 7,600
Marijuana 0