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?
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 varies in different countries. In
the United States, for instance, 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, estimates 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.
These early drinkers moreover, are four times more likely to become an alcoholic than those who don't start drinking until the
age of 21.

| 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.
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. Bars have become an
extension of offices, places where major decisions are made.

| According to the research literature 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 abuse and world statistics reveal some interesting 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.
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 the research literature 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. |
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| Continued research on alcoholism and alcohol abuse statistics and 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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