According, to the report submitted by National Institute of Drug Abuse in 2009, alcoholic beverages have been among the most widely used substances by American young people for a long period of time. In 2009, the proportions of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders who consume alcoholic beverages is 15%, 30%, and 44% respectively.
Among 12th graders, binge drinking was at peak during the period of 1979. It held steady for few years and declined to a low percentage of 28 during the year 1992. By 2009, proportional declines since recent peaks are 42%,28%and 20% for 8th, 10th and 12th graders respectively.
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, surveys on different age groups suggest that the elder people consume less alcohol than the younger ones. Married couple with adult children and couples with no children spend about 30% more than the national household average. 60% of the money spent on all alcoholic beverages was for alcohol consumed at home. Abstention in US is inversely associated with social status. The lower the social class the higher the abstention. Similarly, the more the people are educated, the more likely they are to drink.
According to summary health statistics for US adults, during 2009 the overall percentage of adults of 18 years and above who regularly drink alcohol were 52%, 13% were infrequent drinkers, 9% were former in frequent drinkers and 20% were life time abstainers.
Coming to men, 61% were regular drinkers. Among adults aged 65 and above, 39% of them who had insurance coverage are regular drinkers. Adults who are living with their partners were more likely to be regular drinkers when compared to other marital status.
By observing these statistics we can see how many people are becoming victims of their habits.