Facts

  • Alcohol is the most widely abused drug in America. (Source)
  • Alcohol is the third largest cause of death in the United States, second only to heart disease and cancer. Alcohol and tobacco use are a significant "risk factor" in heart disease and cancer. (Source)
  • Alcohol accounts for over 100,000 deaths per year in the United States. It is also the leading cause of death for individuals 15 to 24 years of age. (Source)
  • Alcohol and other drugs contribute to over 50 percent of all suicides and over 50 percent of all violent crimes. (Source)
  • 28 percent of all college dropouts are alcohol users. (Source)
  • Individuals between the ages of 16 and 24 are involved in more than one-third of all alcohol related traffic accidents. (Source)
  • 95 percent of all college campus violence is alcohol related. (Source)
  • More than 40 percent of all college students with academic problems are alcohol users. (Source)
  • Percent of adults 18 years of age and over who were current regular drinkers (at least 12 drinks in the past year): 51.3 percent. (Source)
  • Percent of adults 18 years of age and over who were current infrequent drinkers (1-11 drinks in the past year): 12.9 percent. (Source)
  • Percent of persons 12 years of age and over with any illicit drug use in the past month: 9.2 percent (2012). (Source)
  • Percent of persons 12 years of age and over with marijuana use in the past month: 7.3 percent (2012). (Source)
  • Percent of persons 12 years of age and over with any nonmedical use of a psychotherapeutic drug in the past month: 2.6 percent (2012). (Source)
  • Percent of adults 18 years of age and over who currently smoke cigarettes: 18.1 percent. (Source)
  • Teens are more likely to use e-cigarettes than cigarettes. (Source)
  • Almost two-thirds (64 percent) of high school seniors do not view regular marijuana use as harmful. (Source)
  • After marijuana, prescription and over-the-counter medications account for most of the top drugs abused by twelfth graders in the past year. (Source)
  • Cigarette smoking and binge drinking rates are down over the last decade. (Source)
  • 35 percent of twelfth graders have used marijuana in the past year. (Source)
  • 6.8 percent of twelfth graders have used Adderall in the past year. (Source)
  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24. (Source)
  • Suicide is the third leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18. (Source)
  • More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, combined. (Source)
  • Each day in our nation there are an average of over 5,400 suicide attempts by young people grades 7-12. (Source)
  • Four out of five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs, such as seeming introverted or changing their behavior drastically. (Source)

Sources