All leading indicators of alcohol abuse, including underage drinking, have shown steady improvement because of factors, such as the combined education and awareness efforts of industry, private organizations and government combined with tougher laws and stricter enforcement. The declines have been especially dramatic in underage drinking and drunk driving.

Check out the links below for more information -- also check out "Signs of Progress -- Remarkable Declines in Alcohol Abuse and Its Consequences", an on-line slide show.

Underage Drinking Is Decreasing
Drunk Driving Accidents Are Declining
Targeted Enforcement Will Stop Many Remaining Drunk Drivers
Responsible Drinking Messages Are Effective

Four recent polls do a good job of measuring public knowledge about alcohol. The first, conducted in 1990 by Survey Design and Analysis for the federal government's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, is based on a random national survey of 2,000 adults. The second, a 1991 survey by the Roper Organization, focused on 1,066 persons 21-years-old and older. The third, a random sample of 738 persons between the ages of 14 and 20, was conducted by the Roper Organization in late 1991. And the fourth, a weighted national sample of 956 students in grades in grades 7 through 12, was reported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1991.

1. Drinking During Pregnancy May Cause Birth Defects
   
2. Drinking Impairs the Ability to Drive or Operate Heavy Machinery
   
3. Alcohol Can Be Hazardous If You Use Certain Over-The-Counter, Prescription or Illegal Drugs
   
4. Alcohol May Become Addictive
   
5. It Is Illegal For Persons Under 21 To Purchase Alcoholic Beverages