Alcohol related fatalities, injuries and disease is one of the most significant public health threats in the United States. Alcohol is closely associated with domestic violence, assault, suicide, homicide, rape, on-the-job injuries and disease. Additionally, the number of drunk driving deaths and injuries each year is astonishing. In fact, alcohol related car accidents are the leading cause of death of people between the ages of 17 and 34 in the US. The high prevalence of alcoholism and alcohol related issues in the country indicate a growing public health concern that can only be mitigated through education and alcohol programs like inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, and day/night programs. And because alcoholism is a disease that can affect anyone, understanding its implications and consequences is critical to avoiding the cycle of addiction and alcohol abuse.

In recent decades drunk driving was a much more serious problem in the United States. However, thanks to public awareness and organizations like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), the rates of drunk driving incidents and fatalities have dropped significantly since the early eighties. Nevertheless, alcohol is a factor in nearly 40% of the nation's traffic fatalities each year. This means that approximately 14,000 people die every year in alcohol related car crashes. (Figures derived from Alcohol Alert's 2008 Drunk Driving Statistics) Unfortunately, many of these people were innocent motorists, pedestrians or cyclists who were killed in an accident caused by someone else who was intoxicated.

States like New Mexico - once the worst in the nation for drunk driving - have decreased drunk driving rates significantly by mandating alcohol training for servers and bartenders, and by closing "drive-through" style liquor stores. Other states like North Dakota and South Carolina have failed to improve drunk driving statistics: in both states half of all traffic fatalities are caused by alcohol.

Perhaps even more significant than alcohol related traffic fatalities is the amount of disease and death that can be attributed to the physical effects of alcoholism. The US CDC (Center for Disease Control) recently reported that there are approximately 23,000 deaths each year related to alcohol (not homicides or drunk driving) and that 14,400 of those deaths are directly caused by liver disease related to alcoholism. Furthermore, the high incidences of alcoholism reported by addiction treatment centers across the nation indicate that professionals in the industry might not be correctly assessing the total amount of deaths, disease and injuries related to alcoholism each year, as many of these go unreported or misidentified.

Data that can be difficult to obtain include:

*Data showing the association of alcohol and homicides

*Data showing the association of alcohol and suicides

*Data showing the total numbers of alcohol-related workplace injury incidents

*Data showing the total numbers of residential or personal injuries as a result of alcohol use

*Data showing the total number of assaults, including rape and sexual assault that occur related to alcohol abuse

However, because alcoholism does not discriminate and can affect anyone, most people are familiar with its negative effects on the lives of individuals, families, and people in the community. If you or someone you care about is suffering from alcoholism, you can get help right now to stop the cycle. All you need to do is pick up the phone.