Customs: A Billion Quarts

Once a year, the Institute of Scientific Studies for the Prevention of Alcoholism brings together teachers, social workers, divinity students and temperance workers for a sobering review of U.S. drinking habits. Key findings at last week’s 12th annual meeting, as reported by Temperance Crusader Andrew Ivy, University of Illinois clinical science expert:

¶ 68 million American adults (21 and over) drink alcoholic beverages to some degree.

¶ billion quarts of pure alcohol (the equivalent of 2.8 billion fifths of 90-proof whisky) were consumed in 1960. Bootleg whisky accounts for about another 350 million fifths.

¶ 500,000 people become alcoholics in the U.S. every year, and one in twelve people who take their first drink this year is destined to join that group.

¶ Americans spend $11 billion a year for alcoholic beverages.

Measuring the intake of drinkers, the institute divided them into two general groups. Nonproblem drinkers include the “occasionals” (45 million), who drink less than a pint of whisky each month, the moderates (6 million), whose intake is about three-quarters of a pint a week apiece and the social drinkers (7.5 million), who account for a quart each per week. Problem drinkers are weighed by the day. Pre-alcoholics (4.1 million) each drink just under a pint a day, while the full-fledged alcoholic (5.4 million) drinks just a little bit more.