How big of a problem is alcohol abuse and crime?
The United States spends more than $184.5 billion each year dealing with the effects of alcohol abuse. In 2001, the US Department of Health and Human Services estimated that 13.4 million Americans were dependent on or abused alcohol. Of these, nearly 2.2 million people received treatment for alcohol abuse, at a cost of $5.5 billion from the criminal justice system and private treatment providers. When it comes to crime, more than 2.4 million people each year are convicted of a crime committed while under the influence of alcohol. More than 1.1 million of those convictions are for drunk driving, with another 1.3 million for crimes committed while under the influence of alcohol but not operating a motor vehicle. In 2000, the U.S.
