Alcohol Statistics
National statistics show us that alcohol is involved in:
- 60 percent of teen suicides
- 70 percent of murders
- 45 percent of drownings
- 50 percent of all rapes
- 70 percent of boating accidents
- 4 percent of traffic fatalities
- 66 percent of fatal accidents
- 41 percent of assaults
- 60 percent of sex crimes against children
- 37 percent of adult suicides
- 60 percent of child abuse cases
- 53 percent of fire deaths
Alcohol use by teens IS a big deal. If your child is drinking, it is a health and safety issue. What can you do?
- Please talk to your child about the dangers of alcohol use. Discuss and set consequences of alcohol use before it happens.
- Always be up to greet them when they come home, (or get up when the come home) give them a hug and a sniff to determine if any alcohol scent is present.
- If you child is attending a party, always call the parents to make sure an adult is going to be home monitoring the party. Remember: Parents are the No. 1 deterrent to drug use.
Effects of drinking on the brain and body. (Based on an average of 150 pounds, but this can vary.)
1 drink within 15 minutes - BAC .03 percent -- Slight change in feelings
2 drinks within 30 minutes - BAC .06 percent -- Lower inhibitions, Mental relaxation, Slight decrease in fine motor skills and Change in behavior.
3 drinks within an hour - BAC .09 percent -- Light headed
4 drinks within 2 hours - BAC .12 percent -- Impaired ability to interpret stimuli, Hearing, vision, speech and balance are altered.
5-7 drinks within 3 hours - BAC .15 percent -- Decreased pain sensation, Staggered movement, Slurred speech, Risk of being involved in a car accident is 25 times the normal rate.
8-12 drinks within 4 hours - BAC .20 percent -- Gross impairment of perception, coordination and involuntary functions, Depressed reflexes, Decreased body temperature, Unconsciousness may occur.
BAC .40 percent -- Chance of death from "shutdown" of breathing.
Did You Know...
Alcohol is the #1 drug of choice among youth and costs our society an average of $577.91 a year per US household. Source: MADD
Someone dies every 30 minutes in America in an alcohol-related crash.
During a typical weekend, an average of one teenager dies each hour in a car crash. Nearly 1/2 of these are alcohol related.
More than 1 in 3 students ride in a car with someone who has been drinking. (This includes adults, such as parents who have been drinking.) Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Information and statistics from the Illinois Drug Education Alliance