How many people in the United States abuse alcohol?

How many people in the United States abuse alcohol?

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. In the United States, 17.6 million people -- about 1 in every 12 adults --abuse alcohol or are alcohol dependent, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services. In general, more men than women are alcohol dependent or have alcohol problems, and alcohol problems are highest among young adults ages 18-29.

Substance abuse refers to the overindulgence in and dependence on a substance, legal or illegal, leading to effects that are detrimental to the individual's physical health, mental health, and/or the welfare of others. There are many government, private and religious organizations that provide assistance to people with substance abuse problems.

For more information, please visit the following links:

• Descriptions of drugs that are commonly abused can be found on the web sites of both the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/concern/concern.htm and http://www.nida.nih.gov/drugpages.html.
• Information on substance abuse for teenagers can be found at http://www.teens.drugabuse.gov/.
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers statistics on substance abuse.
• Office of National Drug Control Policy
• MedlinePlus: Substance Abuse Topic Problems provides links to a wide range of substance abuse resources.
• The National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service provides a toll-free telephone number for alcohol and drug information/treatment referral assistance. The number is 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357). Through this service you can speak directly to a representative concerning substance abuse treatment, request printed material on alcohol or other drugs, or obtain local substance abuse treatment referral information in your state.
• SAMHSA provides an online treatment facility locator where you can find a detox, rehab, halfway house, clinic, or counseling center anywhere in the United States for both alcoholism and drug addiction.

If you are an employer seeking information on workplace substance abuse issues, you can visit the Department of Labor's (DOL) Substance Abuse Information Database (SAID). SAID provides information about and access to hundreds of documents and resources that may assist employers and others to learn about workplace substance abuse issues and develop drug-free workplace programs, such as Working Partners at Work and the Drug-Free Workplace Advisor.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a month set aside to recognize the serious problem of alcohol abuse.

USA.gov.