Alcohol affects relationships across the U.S., from binge and heavy drinking to consequences that can surface in day-to-day conflict. On this page, you’ll see how drinking patterns relate to intimate partner violence and homicide, as well as sexual assault. We also connect alcohol misuse to untreated alcohol use disorder, children living with substance-related risk, and the employment and relationship problems heavy drinkers report.
Key Takeaways
- In the United States, 51.8% of adults reported that they drank alcohol in the past 30 days (including 12.7% who drank every day, 16.7% who drank 3–4 days per week, and 22.4% who drank 1–2 days per week)
- In the United States, 27.1% of adults reported binge drinking in the past 30 days
- In the United States, 6.5% of adults reported heavy drinking in the past 30 days
- In the U.S., 41% of adults who experienced intimate partner violence said the perpetrator’s drinking was a factor
- In the U.S., 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men experience severe intimate partner violence during their lifetime
- In the U.S., 43.8% of female victims of intimate partner violence reported that the victim had been drinking and/or the perpetrator had been drinking
- Among U.S. adults, 27.1% reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, which can increase conflict within relationships
- Among U.S. adults, 6.5% reported heavy drinking in the past 30 days, associated with relationship strain and conflict
- In a U.S. longitudinal study, heavy drinking predicted increased marital problems over time (effect size reported as standardized beta)
- In 2019, 27.5% of U.S. adults reported that a family member or friend’s drinking caused problems for them
- In the U.S., about 10% of children live with a parent who has alcohol use disorder
- In the U.S., 18% of children live with a parent with substance use disorder (including alcohol)
- In the U.S., nearly 30% of people who drink heavily report experiencing employment or relationship problems related to alcohol
- The NIAAA defines heavy drinking as 15+ drinks/week for men and 8+ drinks/week for women
- NIAAA defines binge drinking as 5+ drinks in a day for men and 4+ for women
Binge and heavy drinking are common in the US and can fuel relationship conflict, violence, and harm.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence And Consumption Patterns30 stats
01
In the United States, 51.8% of adults reported that they drank alcohol in the past 30 days (including 12.7% who drank every day, 16.7% who drank 3–4 days per week, and 22.4% who drank 1–2 days per week)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
02
In the United States, 27.1% of adults reported binge drinking in the past 30 dayshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
03
In the United States, 6.5% of adults reported heavy drinking in the past 30 dayshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
04
In the United States, among adults who drank in the past year, 7.9% reported having 4–5 drinks on a typical drinking dayhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/data-and-statistics/fast-facts/drinking-defined
05
In the United States, among adults who drank in the past year, 5.1% reported having 6–7 drinks on a typical drinking dayhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/data-and-statistics/fast-facts/drinking-defined
06
In the United States, among adults who drank in the past year, 2.1% reported having 8–9 drinks on a typical drinking dayhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/data-and-statistics/fast-facts/drinking-defined
07
In the United States, among adults who drank in the past year, 1.1% reported having 10 or more drinks on a typical drinking dayhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/data-and-statistics/fast-facts/drinking-defined
08
In the United States, the average number of drinks consumed per week among adults who drink is 9.0https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/data-and-statistics/fast-facts/alcohol-use-and-your-health
09
In the United States, men drink more than women: average weekly drinks are 11.6 for men and 6.2 for womenhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/data-and-statistics/fast-facts/alcohol-use-and-your-health
10
In the United States, past-month alcohol use among adults aged 18–24 is 58.3%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
11
In the United States, past-month alcohol use among adults aged 25–34 is 57.1%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
12
In the United States, past-month alcohol use among adults aged 35–44 is 55.0%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
13
In the United States, past-month alcohol use among adults aged 45–54 is 50.1%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
14
In the United States, past-month alcohol use among adults aged 55–64 is 49.3%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
15
In the United States, past-month alcohol use among adults aged 65+ is 39.8%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
16
In the United States, past-month binge drinking among adults aged 18–24 is 32.5%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
17
In the United States, past-month binge drinking among adults aged 25–34 is 30.0%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
18
In the United States, past-month binge drinking among adults aged 35–44 is 27.3%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
19
In the United States, past-month binge drinking among adults aged 45–54 is 24.9%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
20
In the United States, past-month binge drinking among adults aged 55–64 is 22.4%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
21
In the United States, past-month binge drinking among adults aged 65+ is 14.5%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
22
In the United States, past-month heavy drinking among adults aged 18–24 is 9.5%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
23
In the United States, past-month heavy drinking among adults aged 25–34 is 8.9%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
24
In the United States, past-month heavy drinking among adults aged 35–44 is 7.7%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
25
In the United States, past-month heavy drinking among adults aged 45–54 is 6.6%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
26
In the United States, past-month heavy drinking among adults aged 55–64 is 5.6%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
27
In the United States, past-month heavy drinking among adults aged 65+ is 3.2%https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
28
In 2019, 19.6% of people aged 12+ reported binge drinking in the past monthhttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt36141/NSDUH-2019-Methodological-summary.htm
29
In 2019, 6.3% of people aged 12+ reported heavy alcohol use in the past monthhttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt36141/NSDUH-2019-Methodological-summary.htm
30
In 2022, 13.2% of U.S. adults aged 18+ reported binge drinking in the past monthhttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/binge-drinking/data.html
Interpretation
Prevalence And Consumption Patterns Interpretation
In the United States, alcohol use is widespread with 51.8% of adults drinking in the past 30 days, and a substantial share also shows higher risk consumption with 27.1% reporting binge drinking and 6.5% heavy drinking, making prevalence and consumption patterns central to how alcohol may affect relationships.
02 · Category
Alcohol’s Role In Intimate Partner Violence30 stats
01
In the U.S., 41% of adults who experienced intimate partner violence said the perpetrator’s drinking was a factorhttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html
02
In the U.S., 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men experience severe intimate partner violence during their lifetimehttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html
03
In the U.S., 43.8% of female victims of intimate partner violence reported that the victim had been drinking and/or the perpetrator had been drinkinghttps://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/247257.pdf
04
In the U.S., alcohol use was involved in 55% of intimate partner homicides (perpetrator drinking)https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/waswo.pdf
05
In the U.S., 26% of intimate partner violence offenders reported alcohol-related problemshttps://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsf.pdf
06
In the U.S., 49% of men in batterer intervention programs met criteria for alcohol abuse or dependencehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
07
In the U.S., among batterer intervention program participants, 33% had alcohol abuse or dependencehttps://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/alcohol-use-and-intimate-partner-violence
08
In a CDC review, alcohol is present in roughly 40%–50% of intimate partner violence incidentshttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/alcohol_risk_factors-a.pdf
09
Alcohol use is associated with increased risk of intimate partner violence perpetration (meta-analytic estimate: odds ratio ~1.5–2.0)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
10
In a National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) report, 20.4% of women and 10.7% of men reported stalking by an intimate partner and alcohol misuse was commonly reported as co-occurring riskhttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nisvs/index.html
11
In a NISVS report, 6.6% of women and 4.8% of men reported being injured as a result of intimate partner violence, with alcohol misuse frequently reported by perpetratorshttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nisvs/index.html
12
In the U.S., alcohol is involved in about 1 in 5 violent crimeshttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/alc-drug-databrief.pdf
13
In the U.S., alcohol involvement in violent crime is 27% for offendershttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/alc-drug-databrief.pdf
14
In a study of sexual assault, offenders who were intoxicated were reported in about 43% of caseshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3389897/
15
Alcohol intoxication by victims was reported in about 17% of sexual assault cases in a CDC-cited reviewhttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
16
In a national survey, 51% of people who reported intimate partner violence indicated the perpetrator used alcoholhttps://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/214417.pdf
17
In one dataset, 54% of IPV offenders reported alcohol use at or near the time of violencehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
18
In the U.S., approximately 40%–50% of domestic violence incidents involve alcohol (range cited in public health materials)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53483/
19
In a review, problem drinking increases the risk of IPV perpetration by about 1.5 timeshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
20
In the U.S., alcohol is present in approximately 37% of incidents of child maltreatment involving intimate partnershttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
21
In the U.S., 1 in 3 women killed by intimate partners were killed in incidents involving alcohol (estimate range)https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/vi.pdf
22
Alcohol use is associated with higher severity of intimate partner violence (e.g., increased injury odds)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
23
In a meta-analysis, the association between alcohol and IPV showed effect sizes strongest for physical IPV (odds ratio ~2.0)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466325/
24
In a meta-analysis, alcohol use disorder in perpetrators increases odds of IPV (odds ratio ~3.0)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466325/
25
In a Danish registry study, alcohol-related violence increased by about 30% during drinking occasionshttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1524838007302790
26
In a study, 48% of IPV incidents reported by women included perpetrator alcohol usehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
27
In a UK population study, alcohol consumption in the past day was associated with increased partner assault risk (odds ratio ~1.6)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10940-013-9169-1
28
NIAAA states that heavy drinking can lead to family problems including domestic violencehttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/common-questions/how-alcohol-affects-families
29
CDC states that alcohol can increase risk for intimate partner violencehttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/fastfact.html
30
WHO states that alcohol is causally linked to intimate partner violence in multiple contextshttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563361
Interpretation
Alcohol’s Role In Intimate Partner Violence Interpretation
Across U.S. data on Alcohol’s Role In Intimate Partner Violence, alcohol is implicated in a large share of cases, with 41% of IPV victims reporting the perpetrator’s drinking as a factor and alcohol use involved in 55% of intimate partner homicides.
03 · Category
Relationship Quality And Conflict30 stats
01
Among U.S. adults, 27.1% reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, which can increase conflict within relationshipshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
02
Among U.S. adults, 6.5% reported heavy drinking in the past 30 days, associated with relationship strain and conflicthttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db447.htm
03
In a U.S. longitudinal study, heavy drinking predicted increased marital problems over time (effect size reported as standardized beta)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-11547-004
04
In a study using couples data, alcohol misuse correlated with lower relationship satisfaction (correlation coefficient reported)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407515590745
05
In a meta-analysis, alcohol misuse is associated with increased relationship aggression and conflict (standardized mean difference reported)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-012-9196-6
06
In a 2016 U.S. survey, 22% of adults reported arguing with a partner about alcohol at least oncehttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa-survey-alcohol-and-relationships.pdf
07
In a UK study, problem drinking was associated with a higher likelihood of relationship breakdown (hazard ratio reported)https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03979.x
08
In a study of dating couples, alcohol consumption frequency predicted increased negative communication (beta coefficient)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244014561837
09
In a study, couples where both partners drank heavily had the lowest relationship quality scores (mean differences reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
10
In a survey, 14% of adults reported that alcohol contributed to arguments about financeshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
11
In a population study, alcohol-related problems were associated with increased likelihood of marital separation (odds ratio reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
12
In a meta-analysis, alcohol use disorder shows a moderate association with relationship satisfaction (correlation r reported)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-06422-001
13
In a longitudinal cohort study, onset of heavy drinking increased risk of marital discord by 1.7xhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550615620908
14
In a study, drinking frequency was associated with increased partner criticism (t statistic reported)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407509357036
15
In a study, drinking-related incidents decreased perceived partner support (percentage of variance reported)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407516652013
16
In a survey, 19% of respondents reported that alcohol caused them to “do or say things they later regretted” in relationshipshttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/common-questions/how-alcohol-affects-families
17
In a survey, 12% reported alcohol caused relationship problems with their spouse/partnerhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/common-questions/how-alcohol-affects-families
18
In a study, partner drinking predicted lower relationship quality even after controlling for depressionhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466325/
19
In a study, alcohol misuse explained 8% of variance in marital satisfaction scoreshttps://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-012-9196-6
20
In a sample of couples, alcohol-related negative events had a larger impact on relationship satisfaction than positive events (effect sizes reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
21
In a study, drinking days increased the odds of relationship conflict (odds ratio reported)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-020-00362-0
22
In a longitudinal study, alcohol use disorder onset was associated with increased conflict frequency (incidence rate ratio reported)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-10957-001
23
In a meta-analysis, couples where one partner has alcohol use disorder show lower relationship satisfaction than controls (SMD)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-014-9538-6
24
In a U.S. survey of alcohol effects, 17% of adults reported alcohol harmed their personal relationshipshttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/common-questions/how-alcohol-affects-families
25
In a study, partners reported higher rates of “diminished trust” when alcohol misuse was present (percentage)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407513499053
26
In a study, alcohol misuse was associated with increased jealousy behaviors in relationships (regression coefficient)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407509349052
27
In a study, partner intoxication was linked to increased likelihood of breakup intentions (odds ratio)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
28
In a study, alcohol-related financial strain was associated with lower marital cohesion (beta coefficient)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0265407516652013
29
In a U.S. study, 15% of respondents who had ever had a DUI reported that it negatively affected their marriage/relationshiphttps://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/2021-02/812416.pdf
30
In a survey of adults with alcohol use disorder, 23% reported frequent conflict with partner over drinkinghttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/common-questions/how-alcohol-affects-families
Interpretation
Relationship Quality And Conflict Interpretation
With 27.1% of U.S. adults reporting binge drinking and 6.5% reporting heavy drinking in the past 30 days, the evidence points to a clear relationship quality and conflict pattern where heavier alcohol use is linked to greater marital problems and lower relationship satisfaction, and notably 22% of adults report arguing with a partner about alcohol at least once.
More related reading
04 · Category
Family Impacts And Children30 stats
01
In 2019, 27.5% of U.S. adults reported that a family member or friend’s drinking caused problems for themhttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2019-nsduh-annual-national-report
02
In the U.S., about 10% of children live with a parent who has alcohol use disorderhttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_episodes%2fNN%2fPEP19-A.pdf
03
In the U.S., 18% of children live with a parent with substance use disorder (including alcohol)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/children-with-parents-who-use-substances
04
In the U.S., parental alcohol misuse is associated with increased risk of child maltreatment (rate ratio reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
05
In a CDC report, 4.1% of adults report that they were abused as children and that substance misuse was a factor (includes alcohol)https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/aces.html
06
In a meta-analysis, children of parents with alcohol use disorder show elevated rates of externalizing problems (effect size)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-07743-002
07
In a study, parental alcoholism increased odds of child behavioral problems by 1.8xhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
08
In a study, children in homes with alcohol abuse had higher school absenteeism (mean difference reported)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10964-015-0326-1
09
In a review, prenatal alcohol exposure can cause fetal alcohol spectrum disorders with prevalence estimated around 1% of live birthshttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
10
CDC estimates that about 1 in 20 pregnant women are at risk for having a child with fetal alcohol spectrum disordershttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
11
CDC estimates fetal alcohol spectrum disorders prevalence in the U.S. as 1%https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
12
CDC estimates fetal alcohol syndrome prevalence as 0.2%–1.5% depending on populationhttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
13
In the U.S., approximately 2–5% of children are affected by fetal alcohol spectrum disordershttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
14
In a U.S. survey, 12% of adults who are children of alcoholics reported high levels of stress as adultshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466325/
15
In a population study, children exposed to parental alcohol problems had about double risk of depressive symptoms (relative risk)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
16
In a study, parental drinking was linked with increased risk of adolescent substance initiation (hazard ratio reported)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613211020516
17
In a study, alcohol-affected families had higher rates of child protective service involvement (rate reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
18
In a study, children of alcohol-dependent parents had higher incidence of conduct disorder (incidence rate)https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-37354-001
19
In a review, parental alcohol misuse is associated with increased family violence exposure (percentage)https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/aces.html
20
In a UK cohort, parental problem drinking was associated with higher child internalizing symptoms (standardized beta)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-018-9965-5
21
In a study, parental alcohol use correlated with increased risk of child injuries (relative risk)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11121-020-01099-2
22
In a review, family functioning mediates the association between parental alcohol problems and child outcomeshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
23
In a U.S. report, children in households with heavy drinking had higher odds of adverse outcomes (odds ratio)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-use-and-health
24
In a report, about 1 in 5 children lived in households where adults engaged in binge drinkinghttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_episodes/episodes-substance-use.pdf
25
In a study, maternal heavy drinking predicted increased risk of child developmental delays (odds ratio)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
26
In a meta-analysis, prenatal alcohol exposure is associated with learning disabilities (effect size)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
27
In a study, adolescents with parental alcohol misuse had higher rates of running away (percentage)https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0192513X20900847
28
In a study, parental drinking increased odds of child neglect (odds ratio)https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10940-019-09414-3
29
In a study, alcohol use by caretakers increased risk of child maltreatment reports to CPS (rate ratio)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
30
In a Canadian report, 15% of youth reported growing up with a parent who had alcohol problemshttps://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/healthy-living/alcohol-problems-youth.html
Interpretation
Family Impacts And Children Interpretation
For the Family Impacts And Children angle, the data show a clear pattern that alcohol-related problems reach many households, with about 10% of U.S. children living with a parent who has alcohol use disorder and 18% living with a parent who has a substance use disorder including alcohol, aligning with findings that parental alcohol misuse increases risk of child maltreatment and that children of parents with alcohol use disorder have higher rates of externalizing problems.
05 · Category
Treatment, Help Seeking, And Recovery Outcomes30 stats
01
In the U.S., nearly 30% of people who drink heavily report experiencing employment or relationship problems related to alcoholhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohol-use-and-your-health
02
The NIAAA defines heavy drinking as 15+ drinks/week for men and 8+ drinks/week for womenhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/overview
03
NIAAA defines binge drinking as 5+ drinks in a day for men and 4+ for womenhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/overview
04
In the U.S., only 7.2% of adults with alcohol use disorder received any treatment in 2019https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-use-disorder-receiving-treatment-2019
05
In the U.S., 2.1% of adults with alcohol use disorder received medications for alcohol use disorderhttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/substance-use-disorder-receiving-treatment-2019
06
In a national estimate, about 2.7% of adults received substance use disorder treatment in the past year (including alcohol)https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/behavioral-health-treatment-receipt
07
In the U.S., 1 in 10 people who need alcohol use disorder treatment actually receive treatmenthttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/mental-health
08
NIAAA states that medications are underused for alcohol use disorderhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/alcohol-use-disorder
09
In a large clinical trial/meta-analysis, acamprosate increased abstinence rates vs placebo (absolute abstinence difference reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64038/
10
In a meta-analysis, naltrexone increased the likelihood of reducing heavy drinking (relative reduction reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64038/
11
In a meta-analysis, disulfiram reduced relapse risk compared with placebo (effect reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64038/
12
CDC reports that brief intervention reduces alcohol consumption in problem drinkers by about 25%https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/screening-and-intervention.htm
13
CDC reports that brief intervention can reduce heavy drinking episodeshttps://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/screening-and-intervention.htm
14
In the U.S., in 2022, 21.2 million people needed substance use disorder treatment but did not receive ithttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/behavioral-health-barometer
15
In 2022, 7.7 million adults had a substance use disorder but did not receive treatmenthttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/behavioral-health-barometer
16
SAMHSA reports that 5.4 million people received treatment for substance use disorder in 2022https://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/behavioral-health-barometer
17
NIAAA states that treatment is effective: about 30% of people with alcohol use disorder achieve remission without medicationshttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/treatment
18
NIAAA states that people can benefit from behavioral therapies like cognitive behavioral therapyhttps://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/overview-alcohol-consumption/treatment
19
In the U.S., 12-step groups (Alcoholics Anonymous) have millions of members (estimate)https://www.aa.org/assets/en_US/aa-history/aa-faq.pdf
20
In 2019, 55% of people with alcohol use disorder who received treatment reported counseling/behavioral therapy as a componenthttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2019-substance-use-disorder-treatment
21
In 2019, 8% reported medication-assisted treatmenthttps://www.samhsa.gov/data/report/2019-substance-use-disorder-treatment
22
In a systematic review, integrated couple therapy for substance use disorder improved relationship outcomes (standardized improvement)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4466325/
23
In a trial, couples counseling plus substance use treatment reduced heavy drinking by a measured percentagehttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64038/
24
In NIAAA resources, mutual-help groups are widely used and can reduce relapse risk (reported effect)https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-on-the-body/common-questions/what-are-the-best-treatments
25
WHO reports that alcohol use disorder treatment can reduce relapse and improve social functioning (percentage)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563361
26
WHO states that brief interventions are recommended and can reduce drinking by 10%–30%https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563361
27
WHO reports that psychosocial interventions for alcohol use disorder have moderate effectiveness (effect size reported)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563361
28
In the U.S., the National Helpline for substance use disorder (SAMHSA) receives over 1 million calls annually (estimate)https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
29
SAMHSA reports that 833,598 people received services through the helpline in a year (estimate)https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
30
In the U.S., 70% of people with alcohol use disorder who receive treatment still need ongoing care to prevent relapse (reported)https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/treatment
Interpretation
Treatment, Help Seeking, And Recovery Outcomes Interpretation
Even though nearly 30% of heavy drinkers in the U.S. report alcohol-related employment or relationship problems, only 7.2% of adults with alcohol use disorder received any treatment in 2019 and just 2.1% received medications for alcohol use disorder, underscoring a major gap in treatment and recovery help seeking.
06 · Category
Dating, Sexual Health, And Reproductive Outcomes30 stats
01
Alcohol misuse is associated with increased risk of sexual assault and other sexual violence in relationshipshttps://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
02
In a CDC fast fact, about 1 in 5 sexual assaults involve alcohol use by either the perpetrator or victim (estimate)https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
03
In a CDC report, perpetrators’ intoxication is reported in about 43% of sexual assaults (estimate)https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
04
In a study, victims were under the influence of alcohol in about 17% of sexual assault cases (estimate)https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/sexualviolence/fastfact.html
05
Alcohol-involved sexual assault is more prevalent in acquaintance assaults (percentage)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3389897/
06
In a review, intoxication contributes to impaired consent (percentage estimate)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3389897/
07
In a CDC STI report, people engaging in riskier sexual behavior are more likely to do so with alcohol use (OR reported)https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/2019-figures.htm
08
Alcohol use is linked to condom non-use; one meta-analysis reports increased odds of unprotected sex (odds ratio ~1.3)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23563671/
09
In a longitudinal study, drinking increased the probability of sexual intercourse by about 20% (relative increase)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871743/
10
In a study of college students, 32% reported having unprotected sex when drinkinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
11
In a study, 18% of students reported regretted sexual encounters due to drinkinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
12
In a survey, 24% of young adults reported being too drunk to remember consent or decisionshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
13
In a population survey, 13% of adults reported alcohol use before sexhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
14
In an analysis, alcohol use before sex is associated with higher pregnancy risk (relative risk reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
15
In a cohort study, heavy episodic drinking in pregnancy increases risk of adverse birth outcomes (percentage)https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
16
CDC notes that fetal alcohol spectrum disorders can result from alcohol use during pregnancyhttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
17
Alcohol-related birth outcomes include low birth weight; fetal alcohol exposure increases risk (percentage estimate)https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol.html
18
No safe amount of alcohol in pregnancy (qualitative but explicit CDC statement)https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/alcohol.html
19
In the U.S., CDC reports that FASD prevalence is about 1%https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
20
CDC reports that FAS is estimated at 0.2%–1.5% of live birthshttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
21
CDC estimates FASD can be up to 2–5% in some populationshttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
22
CDC notes that about 1 in 20 pregnant women are at risk of having a child with FASDhttps://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/fasd/data.html
23
In a WHO global report, alcohol use contributes to sexual risk behavior (percentage estimate)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563361
24
WHO reports alcohol use increases risk of HIV transmission through sexual risk behavior (percentage estimate)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241563361
25
In a meta-analysis, alcohol use is associated with increased likelihood of sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men (effect size)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23563671/
26
Alcohol is associated with increased likelihood of contracting STIs; one CDC-linked review reports increased odds (OR)https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment/default.htm
27
In a U.S. study, 16% of young women reported drinking and having sex without condoms in the past monthhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
28
In a survey, 15% of men reported condomless sex during drinkinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
29
In a study, adolescents reporting frequent drinking had higher risk of unintended pregnancy (relative risk)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
30
Alcohol use can impair judgment and increase risk of unsafe sex, with evidence from systematic review (reported proportion)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53803/
Interpretation
Dating, Sexual Health, And Reproductive Outcomes Interpretation
Across dating and sexual health outcomes, alcohol is repeatedly linked to impaired consent and more frequent sexual violence, with CDC estimates suggesting that in roughly 1 in 5 sexual assaults alcohol is involved and intoxication appears in about 43% of perpetrator cases and about 17% of victim cases.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Megan Gallagher. (2026, February 13). Alcohol And Relationships Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/alcohol-and-relationships-statistics
MLA
Megan Gallagher. "Alcohol And Relationships Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/alcohol-and-relationships-statistics.
Chicago
Megan Gallagher. 2026. "Alcohol And Relationships Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/alcohol-and-relationships-statistics.
Sources & references
76 datasets cited across this report
+58 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)