If there were any doubt that the continuing expansion of alcohol use in the United States is a major problem and health risk, the release of survey results by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should help to settle the question.
The recently released findings from a 2008 NHTSA survey indicate that as many as 20 percent of American drivers have driven vehicles within two hours of drinking alcohol and that 8 percent report having actually driving while intoxicated.
The findings are from a 2008 survey that also found that 8 percent of adults overall, and nearly one-quarter of men aged 21 to 24, accepted rides from someone they believed was intoxicated.
The full survey results are available on the NHTSA website.