Pennsylvania Alcohol Addiction Statistics

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 6,600 deaths occur annually in Pennsylvania due to excessive alcohol use.

Knowing alcohol addiction statistics is important for addressing public health concerns, shaping prevention efforts, and improving treatment options. 

This fact sheet provides statistics on alcohol consumption trends, binge drinking rates, youth alcohol use, and the broader societal costs of excessive drinking in Pennsylvania.

Key Takeaways:

• In 2022, 18.4% of Pennsylvania adults reported binge drinking in the past 30 days, with binge drinkers consuming up to 5.2 drinks per session. 
• More than 6,600 deaths occur annually in Pennsylvania due to excessive alcohol use, based on CDC data.
• Among Pennsylvania binge drinkers in 2022, 25% consumed at least 7 drinks per occasion, and 25% binge drank at least 4 times per month.
• In 2021, alcohol was the leading cause of substance abuse treatment admissions in Pennsylvania, with 17,842 individuals seeking rehabilitation.
• Binge drinking rates were highest among young adults aged 18-29 (28%) and those with some college education (20%) in 2020.
• Chronic drinking was nearly 3 times higher in men (11%) compared to women (4%) in 2020.
• In a 2020 survey, higher-income individuals ($75,000+) had the highest binge drinking (20%) and chronic drinking (9%) rates, while the lowest-income group ($15,000-$24,999) had the lowest binge drinking rate (9%).
• Non-Hispanic White adults reported the highest rates of binge drinking (17%) and chronic drinking (8%) in 2020.

• In 2023, 28.9% of Pennsylvania students (grades 6, 8, 10, and 12) had consumed alcohol at least once, down from 34.8% in 2021.
• In 2021, 10% of high school students in Pennsylvania engaged in binge drinking, slightly lower than the national average of 11%.
• Among youth under 21, excessive alcohol use led to 7,766 years of potential life lost annually in Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2021.
• A 2021 Penn State University survey found that 48% of Penn State students engaged in high-risk drinking, and 59% had blacked out from alcohol at least once in the past year.
• 6,624 people died due to excessive alcohol use in Pennsylvania from 2020 to 202.
• Excessive alcohol use cost Pennsylvania approximately $9.5 billion in 2010.

Prevalence of Alcohol Addiction in Pennsylvania

• According to the CDC:

• In Pennsylvania, 18.4% of adults reported binge drinking in the past 30 days in 2022, placing the state in the mid-range compared to others nationwide. 
• As of 2022, binge drinkers in Pennsylvania had consumed up to 5.2 drinks on a single occasion at the 75th percentile. 
• Adults who binge drink in Pennsylvania do so a median of 1.9 times in the past 30 days, based on 2022 data.

• Based on data up to 2021, more than 6,600 deaths occur annually in Pennsylvania due to excessive alcohol use.
• 2022 data shows that, among adults in Pennsylvania who binge drink, 25% consume at least 7 drinks per binge drinking occasion. 25% binge drink at least 4 times per month. 

• According to America’s Health Rankings:

• Between 2021 and 2022, 7.3% of children aged 12-17 in Pennsylvania reported consuming alcohol in the past month, placing the state 28th in the national rankings.
• In 2022, 18.3% of adults reported engaging in binge or heavy drinking, ranking the state 25th nationwide. 
• 19.9% of women aged 18-44 reported binge or heavy drinking, placing the state 23rd in the national rankings based on 2021-2022 data.
• 7.1% of adults aged 65 and older reported binge or heavy drinking, ranking the state 21st nationwide based on 2022 data.

• According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), alcohol was the leading cause of substance abuse treatment admissions in Pennsylvania in 2021, with 17,842 individuals seeking rehabilitation for alcohol-related disorders. 
• According to 2020 data published by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

• 17% of adults in Pennsylvania reported binge drinking in 2020. Of these, 7% were at risk for problem drinking, and 7% engaged in chronic drinking. 
• Males had higher rates of binge drinking (21%) compared to females (13%).
• Chronic drinking was nearly 3 times higher in males (11%) compared to females (4%).

• Young adults (18-29) had the highest binge drinking rate (28%), followed by those aged 30-44 (22%).
• Chronic drinking was most prevalent in adults aged 18-29 (9%), while it was lowest among those 65+ (5%).

 

Age group	Binge drinking	At-risk for problem drinking	Chronic drinking
18-29	28%	9%	9%
30-44	22%	9%	8%
45-64	16%	8%	7%
65+	5%	5%	5%

 

• Binge drinking was highest among individuals with some college education (20%) and lowest among those with a high school education or less (11%).

Education level	Binge drinking	At-risk for problem drinking	Chronic drinking
High school	11%	4%	4%
High school	15%	5%	6%
Some college	20%	9%	8%
College degree	17%	7%	7%

 

• Higher-income groups ($75,000+) had the highest rates of binge drinking (20%) and chronic drinking (9%).
• Individuals in lower-income brackets ($15,000-$24,999) had the lowest rates of binge drinking (9%).

Income group	Binge drinking	At-risk for problem drinking	Chronic drinking
≤ $15,000	17%	7%	8%
$15,000 – $24,999	9%	5%	5%
$25,000 – $49,999	17%	7%	7%
$50,000 – $74,999	19%	9%	8%
$75,000+	20%	8%	9%

 

• Non-Hispanic White adults had the highest rates of binge drinking (17%).
• Chronic drinking was highest among non-Hispanic Whites (8%) and lowest among Black non-Hispanic adults (4%).

Alcohol Addiction Among Pennsylvania Youth

• According to the 2023 Pennsylvania Youth Survey (PAYS) report by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency:

• In 2023, 28.9% of students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 in Pennsylvania had consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime, marking a decline from 34.8% in 2021.
• Alcohol use increased with grade level, with 13.7% of 6th graders, 21.5% of 8th graders, 32.5% of 10th graders, and 46.9% of 12th graders reporting lifetime alcohol consumption.
• Compared to national figures, Pennsylvania’s 10th graders drank less, with lifetime alcohol use 3.3 percentage points lower than the national average (32.5% vs. 35.8%). 12th graders drank 5.9 percentage points less than their national counterparts (46.9% vs. 52.8%).
• Between 2021 and 2023, 10th graders showed the biggest decline in lifetime alcohol use, dropping by 10.2 percentage points.
• In the past 30 days, 11.5% of students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 had consumed alcohol, down from 13.4% in 2021.
• Recent alcohol use increased with age, with 4.3% of 6th graders, 6.4% of 8th graders, 11.4% of 10th graders, and 23.8% of 12th graders reporting alcohol consumption in the past month.
• Pennsylvania 8th graders reported slightly higher recent alcohol use than the national average, with rates 0.5 percentage points higher (6.4% vs. 5.9%).
• Binge drinking, defined as consuming 5 or more drinks in a row, was reported by 4.0% of students across all grades, continuing a decline from 5.0% in 2021 and 7.4% in 2019.
• The likelihood of binge drinking increased with grade level, with 1.0% of 6th graders, 1.8% of 8th graders, 3.7% of 10th graders, and 9.5% of 12th graders engaging in this behavior.
• Since 2011, binge drinking rates among Pennsylvania students have steadily decreased, with the biggest drop occurring between 2019 (7.4%) and 2023 (4.0%).
• Among 10th graders, binge drinking rates have more than halved since 2019, dropping from 8.4% to 3.7% in 2023.
• The 12th-grade binge drinking rate (9.5%) was close to the national average (10.2%), showing a smaller gap than in other alcohol use categories.
• Students earning D or F grades reported drinking in the past month at nearly twice the rate of those who earn A grades.
• In 2019, 40.0% of male students reported having consumed alcohol at least once in their lifetime. By 2021, this percentage had decreased to 32.4%, and the decline continued in 2023, with 26.3% of male students reporting lifetime alcohol use. 
• In 2019, 42.2% of female students reported having consumed alcohol at least once. This percentage dropped to 34.7% in 2021 and further declined to 28.9% in 2023. 

• According to the “Excessive Alcohol Use: State Fact Sheet” report by the CDC, in 2021, 10% of high school students in Pennsylvania engaged in binge drinking, compared to 11% nationwide.
• According to the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact report by the CDC, between 2020 and 2021, among youth under 21 in Pennsylvania, excessive alcohol use led to 7,766 years of potential life lost annually. Of this, 5,981 years were lost among males and 1,785 years among females.
• A 2021 survey by Pennsylvania State University highlighted concerning rates of risky drinking behaviours among Penn State’s student population: 

• Nearly half (48%) of Penn State students reported engaging in high-risk drinking behaviors.
• 73% of students had to care for a peer who drank excessively.
• Approximately 9% of students had experienced an unwanted sexual encounter due to alcohol use.
• Over half (59%) of students had blacked out from drinking at least once in the past year. More than 1 in 4 (26%) students admitted that alcohol use has caused them to fall behind in their academic work.

Alcohol Related Deaths in Pennsylvania

• According to the “Alcohol-Related Disease Impact” report by the CDC:
• 6,624 people died due to excessive alcohol use in Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2021. Of these, 4,182 deaths were due to chronic causes, while 2,442 deaths resulted from acute causes. 
• Between 2020 and 2021, 70 deaths in Pennsylvania were caused by alcohol poisoning due to excessive alcohol use, with 51 deaths among males and 20 among females.
• Between 2020 and 2021, excessive alcohol use contributed to an annual average of 153,588 years of potential life lost in Pennsylvania. Of this, 104,809 years were lost among males and 48,779 years among females.

What Alcohol Addiction Costs Pennsylvania Every Year

• According to the Addressing Excessive Alcohol Use: State Fact Sheet (Pennsylvania) by the CDC, excessive alcohol use resulted in an estimated $9.5 billion in economic losses in Pennsylvania in 2010, translating to $1.92 per drink sold. These costs stem from lost productivity, criminal justice expenses, and healthcare costs. 

How Many Teens in Pennsylvania Are Addicted to Alcohol?

According to 2024 data by IRETA, approximately 1.64% of teens aged 12-17 in Pennsylvania meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder (AUD). 

Is Pennsylvania a Control State for Alcohol?

Yes, Pennsylvania is a control state for alcohol. This means that the state government, through the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB), regulates the sale of distilled spirits and, in some cases, wine and beer at the wholesale level.

How Does Alcohol Addiction Relate to Mental Health Disorders in Pennsylvania?

Several studies show strong connections between alcohol use and mental health conditions like depression. For example, PsychCentral reports that between 33% and 63.8% of people with alcohol use disorder also experience clinical depression. Learn more in our Pennsylvania Mental Health Disorders Statistics post.