Alcohol Abuse and World Statistics
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When focusing on alcohol statistics, alcohol abuse statistics, and alcoholism world statistics,
it is apparent that there is an alarming rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse worldwide. What can be done
about these global statistics on alcohol abuse and alcoholism?
According to alcoholism statistics and other alcohol related statistics, as countries become
more industrialized, they experienced increased alcoholism and alcohol abuse by their people.
Logic would dictate that as nations advance technologically and medically, their inhabitants
would become even more healthy and less prone to damaging and destructive medical conditions such as alcoholism and
alcohol abuse. Regrettably, the world statistics on alcohol abuse and alcoholism do not substantiate this.
Alcohol-Related Statistics for the World and for the United
States
A Focus on Alcohol Statistics. According to statistics on alcohol abuse and
alcoholism by the World Health Organization, about 140 million people throughout the world suffer from
alcohol-related disorders.
Not surprisingly, the prevalence of alcoholism and
alcohol abuse vary in different countries.
In the United States, for instance, alcohol related statistics show that approximately 15 percent
of the population experiences some sort of problem that is associated with their consumption of alcohol.
Regarding these individuals, alcoholism affects roughly 4% of the overall population, or 12.5
million men and women.
According to U.S. alcohol statistics, men are three times more likely than women to become
dependent on alcohol, while seniors aged 65 and older have the lowest rates of alcoholism.
In addition, in the United States, alcoholism statistics and statistics on alcohol abuse reveal
that 40 percent of people who begin to drink before the age of 15 will become an alcoholic at some time in their
adult lives.
According to recent alcohol statistics, moreover, these early drinkers are four times more likely
to become an alcoholic than those who don't start drinking until the age of 21.

| Alcohol Related Statistics. Numerous U.S. studies and alcohol statistics suggest a
significant relationship between work stress and the development of drinking problems. |
Alcohol Abuse Statistics in Canada and in Russia
Alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics reveal that in Canada, an estimated 4 percent of the
population over the age of 15 is dependent on alcohol and there are twice as many male alcoholics as female
alcoholics.
According to alcoholism and alcohol abuse
statistics, the highest rate of alcoholism occurs in Canadians between the ages of 20 and 24. In Canadian
surveys, about 20% of the current and former drinkers stated that their alcoholic drinking negatively affected
them, usually affecting their jobs or their finances.
According to alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics, alcoholism and alcohol abuse have reached
dangerous levels in Russia, where it is estimated that approximately one-third of all deaths are related, either
directly or indirectly, to alcohol abuse or to alcoholism.
Ironically, the attempts by the Russian government to control drinking by closing bars, breweries,
and distilleries, have backfired and have instead created an extensive black market for alcohol, as well as a
nation of individuals who have become proficient at hiding their alcohol problems.
Alcohol Abuse Statistics in Asian Countries
According to statistics on alcohol abuse, in Asian countries like Japan alcohol abuse has become a
major social issue.
This is mainly due to the fact that drinking is basically required when conducting business. In
fact, alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics show that in Japan, bars have become an extension of offices and
function as places where major decisions are made.
| According to alcoholism statistics and alcohol abuse statistics, alcohol affects
virtually every organ system in the body and, in high doses, can cause coma and death. It affects
several neurotransmitter systems in the brain, including opiates, GABA, glutamate, serotonin, and
dopamine. Increased opiate levels help explain the euphoric effect of alcohol, while its effects on
GABA cause anxiolytic and sedative effects. |
This socially accepted way of conducting business is so entrenched in Japan that a person who
declines an invitation to an after work alcoholic drink runs the risk of being passed over for advancement or
promotion within the company.
As a result, alcohol is readily available in Japan in the form of vending machines along the
streets of Tokyo that dispense cans of sake and beer.
Alcohol Abuse and World Statistics: Conclusion
Alcohol Related Statistics. World alcoholism statistics and statistics on alcohol
abuse reveal some interesting, if not disconcerting information. For instance, as prevalent as drinking
alcohol is in countries such as Japan and Russia, France has the highest rate of alcoholism in the world.
As pointed out via statistics on alcohol abuse, moreover, in spite of overall alcohol consumption
rates per capita for adults that are decreasing in some countries, however, the World Health Organization reports
that binge drinking by young people is probably increasing in developing countries.
Obviously, such alcohol statistics are only as accurate as the reporting process. In spit of this,
however, the worldwide alcohol related statistics that are available show that as nations become more developed,
their inhabitants experience an increasing rate of alcoholism and alcohol abuse.
Building on existing alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics, it can be determined that an increase
in excessive drinking by the world's youth continues means that the overall alcohol consumption rates per capita
for adults will also rise.
| According to alcoholism statistics and alcohol abuse statistics, all depressed
patients should be asked periodically about alcohol and drug use patterns throughout a course of
treatment, and advised to abstain from alcohol and substance use. It is important to maximize the
chance of long-term sobriety in patients with depression. Relapse prevention is one of the most
important tasks in the management of depressed patients with a past history of alcoholism. |
| Alcoholism statistics and alcohol abuse statistics and continued research on
alcohol's effects in the brain and on the links between brain and behavior, which has already led
to the development of medications to reduce craving, is likely to provide clinicians with a range
of highly specific medications that will, when used in conjunction with behavioral therapies,
improve the chance for recovery-and the lives-of those who suffer from alcohol abuse and
dependence. |
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