Alcohol is the most commonly used intoxicating substance in America.
Generally, adults who drink alcoholic beverages do so without experiencing significant problems. However, alcohol abuse is a major problem for 10-15 percent of those who drink. In addition, an issue of growing concern on college campuses is the relationship of alcohol to violence, especially sexual assault. A recent study at a Big Ten university found that approximately 80 percent of the men and 70 percent of the women involved in incidents of sexual assault had been drinking when the assault occurred. In the past several years, convictions for alcohol-related offenses, especially driving offenses, have had a serious, negative impact on the ability of recent graduates to get the jobs they want.