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Statistics
International South
Africa Summary The
following shocking statistics give an indication of the impact of being under
the influence of alcohol in the South African society.
|
Six out of ten drivers that dies in accidents have
dangerously high alcohol levels in their blood. |
|
In an investigation into substance abuse, 50% of truck
drivers and 30% of taxi drivers had been drinking or smoking marijuana. |
|
3000 Adult pedestrians are killed in motor accidents per
year. 70% of them are drunk when killed. |
|
When you are on the road at night, one out of every seven
drivers sharing the road with you, is drunk. |
|
When you take a single drink your chances of causing an
accident doubles. |
|
It is the third leading cause of death in the USA. |
Underneath follows statistics organised alphabetically for the
following topics. Statistics are for South Africa unless otherwise indicated. Crime Death Domestic
Violence Driving Foetal
Alcohol Syndrome Financial Costs Hospital
Statistics Quantity of
Drinkers Road Accidents Crime
| Just under half of all
male prisoners had consumed alcohol or drugs at the time of, or before
committing, their most recent crime. (NICRO) |
Death
Domestic
Violence
| 67% of domestic violence
in the Cape Metropolitan area was alcohol related (MRC). |
| In a study of women
abused by their spouses, 69% identified alcohol/drug abuse as the main cause
of conflict leading to the abuse(MRC). |
| 76% of domestic violence
in rural areas in the South-Western Cape was found to be alcohol related (MRC). |
Driving
|
When you take a single drink your chances of causing an
accident doubles. |
|
When you are on the road at night, one out of every seven
drivers sharing the road with you, is drunk. |
Foetal Alcohol Syndrome
Financial Cost
| Alcohol abuse costs South Africa at least R9 billion
a year (MRC). |
| Alcohol has a negative
effect on the business community due to absenteeism, poor productivity, high
job turnover, interpersonal conflicts, injuries and damage to property. One
study in the Orange Free State found that 20% of gold mine workers involved
in occupational injuries had high concentrations of alcohol in their blood
streams (MRC). |
| It is estimated that
alcohol related costs associated with pedestrian trauma alone are in excess
of $83 million per year (MRC). |
| It is estimated that
motor vehicle collisions cost the country at least $1,5 billion per year and
that at least 50% of these vehicle accidents are alcohol related (Transport
Ministry). |
| The economic costs
associated with alcohol abuse in the work place are likely to be in excess
of $1,7 billion (2% of the gross national product) per year (MRC) |
Hospital Trauma and Admissions
| More than 60% of hospital
trauma cases were the result of drunkenness (MRC). |
| It is estimated that up
to 30% of general hospital admissions in South Africa are directly or
indirectly related to alcohol use. http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/alcohol_abuse%20in%20SA.htm |
| A clinical assessment of
general hospital admissions found alcohol to be a contributing factor in
general trauma cases: in 38% of the admissions in the Cape metropolitan area
and 49% in rural communities alcohol was found to be a contributing factor.
http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/alcohol_abuse%20in%20SA.htm |
| 48% of trauma patients
admitted to the casualty department of the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
in Soweto on a Saturday night were found to be intoxicated. http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/alcohol_abuse%20in%20SA.htm |
| Almost 80% of all
assault patients - both male and female - presented at an urban hospital
Trauma Unit in Cape Town were either found to be under the influence of
alcohol or injured because of alcohol related violence. http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/alcohol_abuse%20in%20SA.htm |
Quantity of drinkers
| South
Africa has "one of the highest per capita alcohol consumption rates in
the world". (The National Injury Surveillance
System in its "Profile of Fatal and Non-fatal Injuries in South
Africa" of May 2000). |
| The
NorthWest province has the highest alcohol consumption rate (34lt - 68lt per
capita). - SANPARK
Community Centre |
| Risky drinkers - about 5.9 million men and 1.63 million women engaging in
risky drinking - drinking five or more beers or glasses of wine at one sitting
for men and more than three drinks for women (MRC). |
Road Accidents
| Half of all road accidents in South Africa were the result
of drunkenness (MRC). |
| 60% of pedestrians
involved in collision traumas on the road and then treated in a hospital
trauma unit were found to have high blood alcohol concentrations.
http://www.frontline.org.za/articles/alcohol_abuse%20in%20SA.htm |
***
International
Nearly 14 million Americans – 1 in every 13 adults – abuse
alcohol or are alcoholic, according to the NIAAA. Several million more adults
engage in risky drinking that could lead to alcohol problems. This behavior
includes binge drinking and heavy drinking on a regular basis. In addition, 53
percent of men and women in the United States report drinking problems in close
relatives. Alcohol-related problems cost society about $185 billion per year,
the NIAAA estimates. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-05/uoth-sdi051503.php
Last updated on
18 Apr 2007 |