Alcohol addiction has many negative effects on the community, which includes violent acts, numerous deaths and injuries from alcohol related accidents and so on. Following are the some of the effects of the alcohol addiction on the community:
Costs:
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, alcohol is responsible for 26 percent of the accidents caused in the United States. In 2000, alcohol related accidents cost the public about $114.3 billion. Alcohol related accidents accounted for about 18 percent of the auto insurance payments.
Crime:
Persons who abuse alcohol often are associated with drunken driving and other crimes. In the United States, drunken driving is the reason for 13,000 deaths and thousands of injuries each year. 1.4 million people are arrested each year in US because of drunken driving. The persons abusing alcohol not only involves in the offenses related to drunken driving but they may also involve in crimes such as assault and domestic violence.
Underage Drinking:
According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 50 percent of adolescents have had at least one drink by the time they reach their eighth grade. The rate of drunken driving in the teens aged between 16 and 20 years, is two times more than the rate of drunken driving by the individuals aged 21 and older. Alcohol abusing can also induce depression and suicidal tendencies, unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in the teens.
The above are the various effects of alcohol addiction on the community.