New study shows 1 in 8 American adults are alcoholics

A new study published in JAMA Psychiatry this month finds that the rate alcohol use disorder, or what’s colloquially known as “alcoholism,” rose by a shocking 49 percent in the first decade of the 2000s.

One in 8 American adults, or 12.7 percent of the U.S. population, now meets diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder, according to the study.

The study’s authors characterize the findings as a serious and overlooked public health crisis, noting that alcoholism is a significant driver of mortality from a cornucopia of ailments: “fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, liver cirrhosis, several types of cancer and infections, pancreatitis, type 2 diabetes, and various injuries.”

The CDC estimates that 88,000 people a year die from alcohol-related causes, more than twice the annual death toll of opiate overdose.

How did the study’s authors judge who counts as “an alcoholic”?

The study’s data comes from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, a nationally representative survey administered by the National Institutes of Health. Survey respondents were considered to have alcohol use disorder if they met widely used diagnostic criteria for either alcohol abuse or dependence.

For a diagnosis of alcohol abuse, an individual must have exhibited at least one of the following characteristics (bulleted text is quoted directly from the National Institutes of Health):

Recurrent use of alcohol resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school or home (e.g., repeated absences or poor work performance related to alcohol use; alcohol-related absences, suspensions or expulsions from school; neglect of children or household).

Recurrent alcohol use in situations in which it is physically hazardous (e.g., driving an automobile or operating a machine when impaired by alcohol use).

Recurrent alcohol-related legal problems (e.g., arrests for alcohol-related disorderly conduct).

Continued alcohol use despite having persistent or recurrent social or interpersonal problems caused or exacerbated by the effects of alcohol (e.g., arguments with spouse about consequences of intoxication).

For a diagnosis of alcohol-dependent, an individual must experience at least three of the following seven symptoms (again, bulleted text is quoted directly from the National Institutes of Health):

Need for markedly increased amounts of alcohol to achieve intoxication or desired effect; or markedly diminished effect with continued use.

The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for alcohol; or drinking to relieve or avoid withdrawal symptoms.

Drinking in larger amounts or over a longer period than intended.

Persistent desire or one or more unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control drinking.

Important social, occupational, or recreational activities given up or reduced because of drinking.

A great deal of time spent in activities necessary to obtain, to use, or to recover from the effects of drinking.

Continued drinking despite knowledge of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to be caused or exacerbated by drinking.

Meeting either of those criteria — abuse or dependence — would lead to an individual being characterized as having alcoholism.

The study found that rates were higher among men (16.7 percent), Native Americans (16.6 percent), people below the poverty threshold (14.3 percent), and people living in the midwest (14.8 percent).

Nearly 1 in 4 adults under age 30 (23.4 percent) met the criteria for alcoholism.