Findings show that more people in California use alcohol than any other drug, with approximately 2.2 million drinkers experiencing significant problems as a result of their consumption. By grade 11, about one-fifth of all students drink beer weekly or more often. California's consumption of alcohol is about 20 percent higher than the national average, but consumption per capita dropped by 4.7 percent between 1983 and 1987. The cost of alcohol problems is about $11.7 billion annually and includes treatment and support, mortality, reduced productivity, lost employment, accidents, and crime. In addition, human problems related to the effects on family, friends, and community cannot be assigned a monetary value. During 1987, a total of 2,488 deaths were due to alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, and other deaths like motor vehicle accidents were largely related to alcohol use. A total of 610,821 arrests occurred in California in 1987 for alcohol-related offenses. Tables and figures.