Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice

27.2

(69.0 M)

10.2

(2.5 M)

40.2

(13.7 M)

27.1

(52.9 M)

Total 12 to 17 18 to 25 26+

P E R C E N T

* In the past 30 days.

Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National Survey on

Drug Use and Health(NSDUH), 2010.

Figure 3.F

Current* Risky Alcohol Use

Among Individuals Ages 12+, 2010

Percent (Number in Millions)

Those ages 18 to 25 engage in binge and heavy

binge drinking at significantly higher rates than

those ages 26 and older.* 28 (Table 3.2)^

More men than women engage in risky drinking

(28.3 percent, 34.9 million vs. 26.2 percent, 34.1

million). This difference becomes more

pronounced at higher levels of drinking: men

are almost twice as likely as women to be heavy

drinkers (23.8 percent vs. 14.3 percent) and

binge drinkers (23.6 percent vs. 12.1 percent),

and three times as likely to be heavy binge

drinkers (6.2 percent vs. 1.9 percent).^29

Overall, whites are more likely to engage in

risky drinking compared to persons of other

races/ethnicities; however, Hispanics are slightly

* Other national data indicate that while the

prevalence and intensity of binge drinking is highest

among individuals ages 18 to 34, adults ages 65 and

older who binge drink do so more frequently than any

other age group. Data regarding involvement in each

type of substance in this table and in subsequent

tables demonstrating demographic differences are

presented as any involvement with the substance

(with or without involvement with other substances)

because presenting risky use for each substance on its

own (without other substance involvement) results in

cell sizes that are too small to present reliable data.

As such, data on specific substances and multiple

substances shown in the tables are not mutually

exclusive.

more likely to engage in heavy and binge

drinking.^30 (Table 3.3)

Between 2002 and 2010, risky alcohol use in the

U.S. population ages 12 and older increased

slightly, from 26.4 percent (62.0 million) in

2002 to 27.2 percent (69.0 million) in 2010.^31

This increase was consistent across all forms of

risky drinking:

 Heavy drinking, from 18.2 percent to 18.9

percent;

Table 3.2

Prevalence of Current Heavy, Binge and Heavy

Binge Drinking,* by Age, 2010

Percent (Number in Millions)

Heavy

Drinking

Binge

Drinking

Heavy

Binge

Drinking

Total Heavy, Binge,

and Heavy Binge

Drinking, Ages 12+

18.9

(48.0 M)

17.7

(44.9M)

4.0

(10.1M)

Age:

12- to 17-years old 5.2 5.0 0.8

18- to 25-years old 28.8 28.0 7.3

26+ years old 18.9 17.5 3.8

* Were risky users of alcohol in the past 30 days but do not

meet diagnostic criteria for addiction involving alcohol.

Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National Survey on

Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2010.

Table 3.3

Prevalence of Current Risky, Heavy, Binge and

Heavy Binge Drinking,* by Race/Ethnicity, 2010

Percent (Number in Millions)

White Black Hispanic Other

Total Risky

Alcohol Use

28.5

(48.4M)

24.9

(7.5M)

27.0

(9.9M)

19.2

(3.2M)

Heavy Drinking 19.7 16.0 20.7 12.6

Binge Drinking 18.1 15.6 20.1 11.9

Heavy Binge

Drinking 4.7 2.2 2.9 1.9

* Were risky users of alcohol in the past 30 days but do not

meet diagnostic criteria for addiction involving alcohol.

Source: CASA Columbia analysis of The National Survey on

Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2010.