Leading Government Survey Does Not Support Claims That Alcohol Use Disorder is on the Rise in the United States
Source: The Distilled Spirits Council
August 10, 2017
The Distilled Spirits Council today issued the following statement in response to claims published in JAMA Psychiatry that suggests alcohol use disorder is on the rise in the United States.
“While any amount of alcohol abuse is too much, the claims published in JAMA Psychiatry do not comport with findings of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, the federal government’s leading survey that tracks substance use disorders,” said Dr. Sam Zakhari, Distilled Spirits Council Senior Vice President of Science and former division director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
“The NSDUH shows a decline in alcohol use disorders among all age groups,” said Dr. Zakhari.
The NSDUH is “the primary source for statistical information on illicit drug use, alcohol use, substance use disorders (SUDs), and mental health issues for the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which conducts the survey. This national survey of approximately 67,500 Americans aged 12 and older has been conducted annually since in 1971.
The Distilled Spirits Council is the national trade association representing producers and marketers of distilled spirits sold in the United States.