About 50% US adults report a family history of alcoholism or problem drinking. Grant B, Harford TC, Dawson DA, et al. Prevalence of DSM-IV alcohol abuse and dependence, United States 1992. Alcohol Health & Research World 18(3). 1994. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol/factsheet.htm

16,189 people are killed in drunk driving automobile accidents each year. That's one death caused by drunk driving every 32 minutes. Statistics Concerning the State of America http://freedomministries.com/outlinestats.html

Nearly 115,000 people die prematurely of alcohol abuse each year, said the NIAAA. http://www.gannett.com/go/difference/greatfalls/pages/part11/mess.html

Over 18% of Americans experience alcohol dependence or alcohol abuse some during their lives. US. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 232. Nutrition and Your Health. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 1995. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol/factsheet.htm

One in three British men and one in five women drink double the amount considered safe at least once a week. Alcohol Concern organization

50% of high school students had at least one drink of alcohol during the 30 days prior to a CDC survey: http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r2k0609b.htm

32% had 5 or more drinks of alcohol on at least one occasion during the 30 days preceding same survey. http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/pressrel/r2k0609b.htm

About 8% of 8th, 23% of 10th, and 32% of 12th graders report having been drunk during the past month. Johnston LD, O'Malley PM, and Bachman JG. Data tables from the 2000 Monitoring the Future Survey. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan News and Information Services [On-line]: www.monitoringthefuture.org; accessed January 18, 2001. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol/factsheet.htm

By high school graduation, 80 percent of students have tried alcohol. http://www.restoredcog.org/youth/articles/0312-pia.html

n 1999, about 14% of 8th, 26% of 10th, and 30% of 12th graders reported binge drinking (5 or more consecutive drinks for males, 4 for females )during the past 2 weeks. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol/factsheet.htm

27% of British 15-year-olds had been drunk 20 times or more, compared to 12% of young Germans, 6% of Netherlands youth and only 3% of young French. Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)

In a survey of 26,086 elementary age students in 22 states. 26% of 12 graders used illicit drugs in the past month, 23% of 10th graders, and 13% of 8th graders. Statistics Concerning the State of America http://freedomministries.com/outlinestats.html

79% of college students living in a fraternity or sorority house report binge drinking. Grant BF and Dawson DA, National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. Journal of Substance Abuse 9:103-110, 1997

Since 1993, colleges have seen a 125 percent increase in binge drinking by women. http://www.restoredcog.org/youth/articles/0312-pia.html

"Binge drinking" (5 or more drinks in a row) increased 17 percent among all adults between 1993 and 2001, 56 percent among 18- to 20-year-olds. Adults age 21 to 25 went on drinking binges an average of 18 times. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov

Among those living in a fraternity or sorority house, the rate of binge drinking is still higher (79%). Wechsler H, Lee J, Kuo M, and Lee H. College binge drinking in the 1990s: A continuing problem: Results of the Harvard School of Public Health 1999 College Alcohol Study. Journal of American College Health 48:199-210, 2000. http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol/factsheet.htm

On a typical campus, per capita students spending for alcohol--$446 per student--far exceeds the per capita budget of the college library. (Eigen, 1991 in the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse).

47% of college students now drink primarily to get drunk. Grant BF and Dawson DA, National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey. Journal of Substance Abuse 9:103-110, 1997

44% of college students reported binge drinking in 1999 . Wechsler H, Lee J, Kuo M, and Lee H. College binge drinking in the 1990s: A continuing problem: Results of the Harvard School of Public Health 1999 College Alcohol Study. Journal of American College Health 48:199-210, 2000 http://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/alcohol/factsheet.htm

College students spend over $5.5 billion a year on alcoholic beverages (mostly beer)--more than they spend on all other drinks [soda, tea, milk, juice and coffee] and books combined. Sidney Ribeau, PresidentBowling Green State University http://www.collegevalues.org/diaries.cfm?id=476&a=1. See also www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/rpt1998/CAS1998rpt2.html [which is also a illustration of how to do a survey.]

According to a U.S. Surgeon General, nationally college students drink almost four billion cans of beer and enough wine and hard-alcohol to make their annual consumption of alcoholic beverages an unthinkable 34 gallons per person. Sidney Ribeau, President, Bowling Green State University. http://www.collegevalues.org/diaries.cfm?id=476&a=1

More undergraduates will die from alcohol related causes then will obtain MA's or PHD's combined. Eigen, L. February 1991. Alcohol Practices, Policies and Potentials of American Colleges and Universities. An OSAP White Paper. Rockville, MD: Office for Substance Abuse Prevention. http://media.shs.net/prevline/pdfs/phd858.pdf

Alcohol on college campuses is a factor in 40 percent of all academic problems and 28 percent of all dropouts. Anderson, D. 1994. Breaking the Tradition on College Campuses: Reducing Drug and Alcohol Misuse. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University. http://media.shs.net/prevline/pdfs/phd858.pdf

Alcohol is a key factor in 33 percent of suicides, 50 percent of homicides, 62 percent of assaults, 68 percent of manslaughters, 50 percent of head injuries, and 41 percent of traffic fatalities. It also plays a large role in domestic abuse and injury, child abuse and neglect, and workplace injuries. Prevention Enhancement Protocols System. August 1999. Preventing Problems Related to Alcohol Availability: Environmental Approaches, Parent and Community Guide. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. http://media.shs.net/prevline/pdfs/phd858.pdf

Each year approximately 16,000 Americans are killed in alcohol-related crashes. Los Angeles Police Dept. http://www.lapdonline.org/bldg_safer_comms/prevention/other/drunk_driving_98.htm

Alcohol is a factor in nearly half of all traffic fatalities. Los Angelus Police Dept. http://www.lapdonline.org/bldg_safer_comms/prevention/other/drunk_driving_98.htm

Every other minute, another person is seriously injured in an alcohol related crash. Los Angelus Police Dept. http://www.lapdonline.org/bldg_safer_comms/prevention/other/drunk_driving_98.htm

Highway crashes currently account for more than 40,000 deaths annually in the United States [50,000 incl. non-occupants: www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov]. Jim Hall Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board, The Advisory Council on Traffic Safety, Chattanooga, Tennessee July 27, 2000 http://www.ntsb.gov/speeches/former/hall/jhc000727.htm