Key Facts and StatisticsAlcohol Use in the United States:Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States:Alcohol-Related Deaths: Economic Burden: Global Burden: Family Consequences:Underage Drinking: Alcohol and College Students: Alcohol and Pregnancy: Alcohol and the Human Body: Health Benefits of Moderate Alcohol Consumption: Alcohol’s effects on your brain and body depend on the ways you drink–such as how much and how often–as well as your age, gender, and overall health statusWhat Is a Standard Drink?How do you know how much alcohol is in your drink? Alcohol’s Effects on the BodyModerate and Binge DrinkingFetal Alcohol SyndromeFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)Risk FactorsInterventionsAlcohol Use DisorderEvaluate Your Own DrinkingHow does alcohol affect different groups and people with certain disorders?Underage DrinkingUnderage Drinking StatisticsYouth ages 12 to 20 often binge drinkMore adolescents use alcohol than cigarettes or marijuanaDrinking patterns vary by age and gender Alcohol Use Among GendersUnderage Drinking Is Dangerous Why Do So Many Young People Drink? Preventing Underage DrinkingThe Role Parents Play Warning Signs of Underage Drinking Treating Underage Drinking ProblemsCollege DrinkingConsequences of Harmful and Underage College DrinkingWomenOlder AdultsDiversity & Health DisparitiesOther Psychiatric DisordersOther Substance AbuseHIV/AIDSNIHAA: Alcohol & Your Health Key Facts and StatisticsDrinking Levels DefinedModerate alcohol consumptionAccording to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020,” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture, moderate drinking is up to 1 drink per day for women and up to 2 drinks per day for men.Binge Drinking- NIAAA defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men—in about 2 hours.- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which conducts the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), defines binge drinking as 5 or more alcoholic drinks for males or 4 or more alcoholic drinks for females on the same occasion (i.e., at the same time or withina couple of hours of each other) on at least 1 day in the past month.Heavy Alcohol UseSAMHSA defines heavy alcohol use as binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month.- NIAAA’s Definition of Drinking at Low Risk for Developing Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD):  For women, low-risk drinking is defined as no more than 3 drinks on any single day and no more than 7 drinks per week. For men, it is defined as no more than 4 drinks on any single day and no more than 14 drinks per week. NIAAA research shows that only about 2 in 100 people who drink within these limits have AUD.- Certain people should avoid alcohol completely, including those who: Plan to drive a vehicle or operate machinery Take medications that interact with alcohol Have a medical condition that alcohol can aggravate Are pregnant or trying to become pregnantAlcohol Facts and StatisticsAlcohol Use in the United States:- Prevalence of Drinking: According to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 86.4 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime; 70.1 percent reported that they drank in the past year; 56.0 percent reported that they drank in the past month.1- Prevalence of Binge Drinking and Heavy Alcohol Use: In 2015, 26.9 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month; 7.0 percent reported that they engaged in heavy alcohol use in the past month.2 (See "Definitions" below for definitions of binge drinking and heavy alcohol use.)Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States:- Adults (ages 18+): According to the 2015 NSDUH, 15.1 million adults ages 18 and older (6.2 percent of this age group) had AUD. This includes 9.8 million men (8.4 percent of men in this age group4) and 5.3 million women3 (4.2 percent of women in this age group4). About 6.7 percent of adults who had AUD in the past year received treatment. This includes 7.4 percent of males and 5.4 percent of females with AUD in this age group.- Youth (ages 12–17): According to the 2015 NSDUH, an estimated 623,000 adolescents ages 12–176 (2.5 percent of this age group) had AUD. This number includes 298,000 males6 (2.3 percent of males in this age group7) and 325,000 females6 (2.7 percent of females in this age group7).- About 5.2 percent of youth who had AUD in the past year received treatment. This includes 5.1 percent of males and 5.3 percent of females with AUD in this age group.Alcohol-Related Deaths: - An estimated 88,0008 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women8) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. The first is tobacco, and the second is poor diet and physical inactivity.9 - In 2014, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 9,967 deaths (31 percent of overall driving fatalities).Economic Burden: - In 2010, alcohol misuse cost the United States $249.0 billion.11- Three-quarters of the total cost of alcohol misuse is related to binge drinking.11Global Burden: - In 2012, 3.3 million deaths, or 5.9 percent of all global deaths (7.6 percent for men and 4.0 percent for women), were attributable to alcohol consumption.12- In 2014, the World Health Organization reported that alcohol contributed to more than 200 diseases and injury-related health conditions, most notably DSM–IV alcohol dependence (see sidebar), liver cirrhosis, cancers, and injuries.13 In 2012, 5.1 percent of the burden of disease and injury worldwide (139 million disability-adjusted life-years) was attributable to alcohol consumption.12- Globally, alcohol misuse was the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability in 2010. Among people between the ages of 15 and 49, it is the first.14 In the age group 20–39 years, approximately 25 percent of the total deaths are alcohol attributable.Family Consequences:- More than 10 percent of U.S. children live with a parent with alcohol problems, according to a 2012 study.Underage Drinking: - Prevalence of Underage Alcohol Use:  Prevalence of Drinking: According to the 2015 NSDUH, 33.1 percent of 15-year-olds report that they have had at least 1 drink in