12 Feb 2023 : National + State Data NCDAS
From 2012 to 2019, the year over year rise in deaths rates averaged about 4% per year, and then jumped during early pandemic years, with the biggest rise from 2019 to 2020. Other data mirror this trend – emergency department (ED) visits for SUD are on the rise and account for twice the number of ED visits compared to opioids. Alcohol related ED visits account for nearly half of all SUD related visits (45%), far higher than the next highest group, opioids, accounting for 13% of ED visits. The charts show global consumption of wine, first in terms of wine as a share of total alcohol consumption, and then the estimated average consumption per person.
Pennsylvania Alcohol Abuse Statistics
This pattern of drinking is often termed ‘binging,’ where individuals consume large amounts of alcohol within a single session versus small quantities more frequently. In a related chart, you can see the share who Alcoholism Statistics drink alcohol by gender and age group in the UK. Explore statistics on alcohol-related deaths and emergency visits in the United States. Virginia has fewer alcohol-related deaths per capita than most other states.
Driving After Drinking

Connecticut’s alcohol-related death rate is slightly below the national average. Death from excessive alcohol use is on the rise in Colorado, catching up to national averages, and the rate of binge drinkers is high. Alcohol Use Disorder and alcoholism have damaged some groups or demographics more than others. Alcohol abuse statistics indicate some inequalities may be due to social conditioning. By working together effectively, the negative health and social consequences of alcohol can be reduced. A variety of factors which affect the levels and patterns of alcohol consumption and the magnitude of alcohol-related problems in populations have been identified at individual and societal levels.
Share of adults who don’t drink alcohol
Although drinking any amount of alcohol can carry certain risks (for information on impairments at lower levels, please see this chart), crossing the binge threshold increases the risk of acute harm, such as blackouts and overdoses. Binge drinking also increases the likelihood of unsafe sexual behavior and the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintentional pregnancy. Because of the impairments it produces, binge drinking also increases the likelihood of a host of potentially deadly consequences, including falls, burns, drownings, and car crashes. Rural areas experienced faster growth in alcohol deaths than urban areas, driven by sharp rises during the pandemic. Deaths grew across both rural and urban areas in the past decade; however growth was fastest in rural areas–nearly doubling in the past decade and increasing by 35% during pandemic years.
Alcohol consumption by sex
Alcohol misuse offers a window into other medical conditions—everything from liver enzymes to anxiety disorders. Primary care providers don’t always have much time, but screening could be assigned to a nurse practitioner or even done on a tablet as a person enters the office. Many providers use the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test C (or the AUDIT-C), which is three questions and highly predictive of AUD.

Federal survey data show that in 2022, only 7.6% of people (12+) with a past year alcohol use disorder received any treatment. The scatter plot compares the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in males versus that of females. The prevalence of alcohol dependence in men is typically higher than in women across all countries.
- In 2018, 5.1% of adults engaged in heavy drinking in the past year, 15.5% engaged in moderate drinking, 45.7% engaged in light drinking, and 33.7% did not consume alcohol (Figure 1).
- Alcohol has historically, and continues to, hold an important role in social engagement and bonding for many.
- Alcohol consumption by an expectant mother may cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and pre-term birth complications.
- Many people with alcohol use disorder hesitate to get treatment because they don’t recognize that they have a problem.
Treatment rates for alcohol use disorders are notably low, especially for the use of medication, a recommended AUD treatment component. Although the opioid crisis has been declared a public health emergency by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 2017, no similar declaration exists regarding alcohol deaths.
- These factors are discussed in detail in the AEDS data reference manual on per capita alcohol consumption (Nephew et al. 2004).
- Further, recent changes to SUD confidentiality regulations are expected to simplify the diagnosis and coordination of care for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD).
- † Largest number of drinks consumed on an occasion in the past 30 days among adults who reported binge drinking.
- During this time, deaths from excessive alcohol use among males increased 26.8%, from 94,362 per year to 119,606, and among females increased 34.7%, from 43,565 per year to 58,701.
- The charts show global consumption of wine, first in terms of wine as a share of total alcohol consumption, and then the estimated average consumption per person.
The percentage of adults who engaged in heavy drinking in the past year varied by select mental health indicators.
