Indiana Alcohol Abuse Statistics

Indiana faces a serious alcohol abuse problem, with high rates of binge drinking and alcohol use disorder (AUD) among adults and youth. In 2023, the state ranked 16th nationwide for excessive drinking, and alcohol-related deaths, accidents, and health complications continue to rise.

Let’s take an in-depth look at alcohol consumption trends in Indiana, including prevalence rates, youth alcohol use, and the medical and economic consequences of alcohol abuse in the state. 

Key Takeaways:

• In 2021, 51.0% of Indiana adults (18+) consumed alcohol in the past month, lower than the U.S. average of 54.6%.
• Men (55.4%) were more likely to consume alcohol than women (46.1%) in Indiana in 2021.
• The highest alcohol consumption rate was among adults aged 26-34 (61.4%) in 2021.
• White adults (51.6%) had the highest alcohol consumption rate, followed by Hispanic (48.5%) and Black adults (40.2%).
• The prevalence of alcohol use disorder increased by 51%, from 7.0% in 2009 to 10.57% in 2021 among Hoosiers aged 12+.
• Among young adults aged 18-25, 19.4% had alcohol use disorder in 2021 — the highest rate among all age groups.
• In 2021, 2.7% of Indiana adolescents (12-17) were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, slightly higher than the national average.
• Only 6.4% of Hoosiers with alcohol addiction received treatment in 2021.
• Liver disease deaths caused by alcohol increased by 31% from 2015 to 2021 in Indiana.
• Between 2016 and 2021, emergency room visits due to alcohol poisoning increased by 24%.
• Alcohol-related deaths in Indiana accounted for 6.1% of total deaths in 2021.
• In 2022, 19.9% of Indiana 12th graders reported drinking alcohol in the past month, lower than the U.S. average of 28.4%.
• Binge drinking among Indiana 12th graders stood at 9.6% in 2022, below the national rate of 14.1%.
• In 2021, 55.6% of Indiana college students drank alcohol in the past month, with 40.4% being under 21.
• The percentage of Indiana college students engaging in binge drinking was 30.5% in 2021. 
• In 2021, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 4.6% of all traffic accidents in Indiana.
• In 2021, 10.2% of child removals by Indiana’s Department of Child Services were linked to parental alcohol abuse.
• In 2010, the annual economic burden of alcohol abuse in Indiana was estimated at $4.3 billion, factoring in healthcare costs, crime, and lost productivity.

Prevalence of Alcohol Abuse in Indiana

• According to America’s Health Rankings, in 2023, Indiana ranked 16th among U.S. states for excessive drinking, with 16% of adults reporting binge drinking or heavy alcohol consumption that year. 
• According to America’s Health Rankings, in 2022, Indiana ranked 7th among U.S. states for excessive drinking among adults aged 65 and older. 6% of this population reported binge drinking or heavy alcohol consumption that year. 
• America’s Health Rankings reports that between 2021 and 2022, Indiana ranked 16th among U.S. states for excessive drinking practices in women. 18.9% of women aged 18-44 in the state reported binge drinking or healthy alcohol consumption in this period. 
• According to the 2023 “The Prevalence, Consumption, and Consequences of Alcohol in Indiana” report by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration:
• The percentage of Indiana residents (aged 12 and older) with AUD rose from 7.0% in 2009 to 10.57% in 2021, marking a 51% increase.

• In 2021, around 50.6% of Indiana adults reported alcohol use in the past 30 days. 
• Men in Indiana reported higher alcohol use (55.4%) in the past 30 days compared to women (46.1%) in 2021. 
• White adults had the highest alcohol use rate (51.6%) among all ethnic groups, followed by Hispanics (48.5%) and Black adults (48.4%). 

• Adults aged 25-34 had the highest alcohol use rate (61.4%), closely followed by those aged 35-44 (60.5%).
• 15.4% of Indiana residents reported engaging in binge drinking in 2021. 
• In 2021, men in Indiana reported a significantly higher binge drinking rate (19.3%) than women (11.8%). 
• Hispanic residents had the highest binge drinking prevalence (21.5%) in 2021, exceeding both White (15.3%) and Black (13.9%) populations.
• The highest binge drinking rates in Indiana were among adults aged 25-34 (24.3%), followed by those aged 18-24 (22.4%). The lowest rates were in those aged over 65 (4.4%).
• According to the “Substance Abuse in Indiana 2023: Drug Use Fact Sheet” by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: 

• In 2021, 44.1% of Hoosiers aged 12 and older reported consuming alcohol, marking a 4.3 percentage point decline from the previous year. 
• Young adults between 18 and 25 had the highest reported alcohol consumption in 2021, with 51.5% stating they drank in the past month — a 3.6 percentage point drop compared to the prior year.
• Approximately 21.1% of Indiana residents aged 12 and older engaged in binge drinking, with the rate rising to 32.5% among young adults. 
• Alcohol use among Indiana adults increased slightly to 51.9% in 2021, up by 0.8 percentage points from the previous year. Among men, 55.4% reported drinking in the past month (a 0.7 percentage point decline), while alcohol use among women rose to 46.1% (a 1.9 percentage point increase). 
• Around 10.6% of Indiana residents aged 12 and older were diagnosed with AUD in the past year, reflecting a 1.2 percentage point increase from the previous year. 
• According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 

• Between 2020 and 2021, Indiana recorded an average of over 3,800 deaths annually due to excessive alcohol consumption. 
• In 2022, 16% of Indiana adults reported binge drinking, slightly below the national average of 17%. 
• In 2021, 11% of high school students in Indiana admitted to binge drinking, matching the national rate that year. 
• Among Indiana adults who engage in binge drinking, 25% consume at least 8 drinks per occasion. 
• 25% of binge drinkers in Indiana report drinking excessively at least 4 times per month. 
• According to the 2022 Regional Trends of Alcohol Use and Consequences in Indiana report, between 2008 and 2018, the prevalence of AUD among individuals aged 12 and older declined in Indiana, falling from 7.12% in 2008 to 5.00% in 2018. 

Youth Alcohol Abuse in Indiana

• According to the 2023 “The Prevalence, Consumption, and Consequences of Alcohol in Indiana” report by the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration:

• In Indiana, 8.2% of 8th-grade students reported drinking alcohol in the past month in 2022, compared to 6.0% of students nationwide.
• Among 10th graders, 12.5% of Indiana students reported monthly alcohol use in 2022, slightly lower than the national rate of 13.6%.
• 19.9% of Indiana 12th-grade students reported drinking in the past month in 2022, significantly lower than the U.S. average of 28.4%.
• Around 40.4% of Indiana college students who consumed alcohol were under the legal drinking age of 21.
• Binge drinking within the past 2 weeks was reported by 27.2% of surveyed students, which is slightly below the national average of 32.7%.
• Binge drinking rates were notably higher among students aged 21-25 (36.8%) compared to those under 21, where the rate was 19.7%.
• Alcohol played a significant role in sexual assault cases on college campuses, with at least 50% of incidents involving alcohol or other substances.

Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in Indiana

• According to the “Substance Abuse In Indiana 2023: Drug Use Fact Sheet” by Syra Health and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration: 

• In 2021, Indiana recorded an age-adjusted alcohol-related death rate of 14.8 per 100,000 residents, reflecting a 1.1-point increase from the previous year. 
• The state saw 0.62 alcohol-related crashes per 1,000 people in 2021. 
• Parental alcohol abuse contributed to 10.2% of child removals during the 2021 state fiscal year, showing a 1.1 percentage point decline from the prior year. 
• According to the CDC:

• Between 2020 and 2021, Indiana saw a total of 49,856 acute alcohol-related deaths, with 35,532 deaths among males and 14,324 among females.
• Among acute alcohol-related deaths in Indiana, alcohol poisoning was the most common cause, taking a total of 20,756 lives between 2020 and 2021. 
• Motor vehicle traffic crashes were the second leading acute cause, responsible for 10,310 deaths. 
• Suicide was the third most common acute cause, with 7,455 deaths. 
• Homicide was the leading cause of death in the “Other Acute Causes” category, with 7,352 fatalities. 

• Between 2020 and 2021, there were a total of 45,897 deaths in Indiana from chronic alcohol-related causes. 
• 16,168 of those deaths were from alcoholic liver disease, making it the most fatal chronic condition linked to alcohol use in Indiana. 

• Among alcohol-related cancers, liver cancer had the highest toll, with 1,395 deaths recorded in Indiana from 2020 to 2021.

• Hypertension was the deadliest alcohol-related cardiovascular condition, contributing to 5,018 deaths in Indiana from 2020 to 2021. 

Economic Impact of Alcohol Abuse in Indiana

• According to the CDC, in 2010, excessive alcohol consumption cost Indiana approximately $4.5 billion annually, factoring in lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and criminal justice impacts. This is equal to $1.96 for every alcoholic drink sold. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is Drunk Driving Common in Indiana?

Yes, Indiana experiences a high number of drunk driving accidents, arrests, and fatalities every year. In 2020 alone, alcohol-impaired collisions in Indiana claimed the lives of 124 people, accounting for 14% of all traffic-related fatalities in the state according to Indiana University Public Policy Institute. Learn more about drunk driving in our post titled “Indiana DUI Statistics and Rates”.

What Is Indiana’s Alcohol-Related Death Rate?

In 2020, the age-adjusted alcohol-attributable mortality rate in Indiana was 13.7 per 100,000 people. By 2021, this rate increased to 14.8 per 100,000, according to the CDC.

How Many Kids in Indiana Drink Alcohol?

According to America’s Health Rankings, around 6.3% of teenagers in Indiana (aged 12-17) reported drinking alcohol between 2021 and 2022. Indiana ranks 9th among all states in the country for rates of child alcohol use.