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A Look at the Latest Alcohol Death Data and Change Over the Last Decade

alcoholism death

Chronic, long-term drinking can contribute to malnutrition by replacing foods needed for essential nutrients and by interfering with absorption, storage, or metabolism of the essential nutrients. This can also lead to anemia, when your red blood cell (RBC) count is lower than normal or there’s a problem with the hemoglobin protein inside those cells. Complications of cirrhosis can lead to death, often due to increased pressure within the veins of the liver, which cause problems such as fluid collection in the abdomen (ascites) or massive bleeding of the veins lining the esophagus (varices).

By 2020 to 2021, alcohol contributed to more than 178,000 U.S. deaths per year on average, the report said. Over half of alcohol-related deaths are because of health effects from drinking too much over time. But drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time can also be deadly. It can cause alcohol poisoning or lead to other dangers like motor vehicle accidents. Alcohol use is a known risk factor for mortality, and the rates of alcohol-induced deaths have risen over the past several years (1).

  1. During the pandemic, telehealth services for behavioral health and other care may have been more accessible to those living in urban areas, where an internet connection is more likely to be available or reliable (Figure 5).
  2. Although medications for alcohol use disorder have been shown to reduce or stop drinking, uptake of these medications is extremely low; with only 2.1% of people who meet criteria for an alcohol use disorder (diagnosed or not) receive medication treatment.
  3. Further, recent changes to SUD confidentiality regulations are expected to simplify the diagnosis and coordination of care for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD).
  4. A combination of stress, tremendous loss of life due to the virus and isolation from friends and family contributed to mental health struggles that compelled many people to self-medicate with alcohol, Siegel said.

The highest proportion (13%) of alcohol-attributable deaths in 2019 were among young people aged 20–39 years. Alcohol can increase your risk for high blood pressure, which can put you at risk for a heart attack or a stroke. And while alcohol is a liquid, it can still pack on empty calories, and drinking too much may lead to obesity.

Alcohol-Related Emergencies and Deaths in the United States

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is often an underrecognized substance use disorder (SUD) despite its substantial consequences. Over half of US adults (54%) say that someone in their family has struggled with an alcohol use how to smoke moonrocks disorder, making it the most prevalent non-tobacco substance use disorder. Yet, only one-third of adults view alcohol addiction as a crisis, compared to over half who see opioids as such. Federal data show that 1 in 10 people had an alcohol use disorder in the past year, over 4 in 10 alcohol users report binge drinking in the past month, and per capita alcohol consumption is higher than the decade prior. Treatment rates for alcohol use disorders are notably low, especially for the use of medication, a recommended AUD treatment component.

alcoholism death

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You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life. “Ernest’s death is a sad reminder of the risks our front-line water heroes face serving our 1.9 million customers,“ WSSC said in a news release. Campbell had a blood alcohol content of 0.19, more than twice the legal limit, and police found a half-empty bottle of alcohol in the front passenger seat of her car, according to police.

On an individual level, Esser suggested that people could try to stop or limit alcohol consumption. The rate of such deaths had been increasing in the two decades before the pandemic, by 7% or less each year. NEW YORK — The rate of deaths that can be directly attributed to alcohol rose nearly 30% in the U.S. during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new government data. If people do choose to drink — and most American adults do — US Dietary Guidelines suggest no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one drink a day for women. In 2019, 38% of current drinkers had engaged in heavy episodic drinking, defined as consuming at least 60g of pure alcohol on one or more occasions in the preceding month – roughly equivalent to 4 or 5 glasses of wine, bottles of beer or servings of spirits.

During each period, among all excessive alcohol use cause of death categories, death rates among males were highest from 100% alcohol-attributable chronic conditions. Among females, the average annual number of deaths from excessive alcohol use increased by 15,136 (34.7%), from 43,565 during 2016–2017, to 58,701 during 2020–2021. Age-standardized alcohol-attributable death rates among females increased from 22.7 per 100,000 population during 2016–2017 to 23.6 during 2018–2019, and to 29.4 during 2020–2021. Death rates among females were highest from heart disease and stroke during each period. Among both males and females, alcohol-attributable death rates increased for most cause of death categories.

Alcoholic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis

Increases in deaths from excessive alcohol use during the study period occurred among all age groups. A recent study found that one in eight total deaths among U.S. adults aged 20–64 years during 2015–2019 resulted from excessive alcohol use (9). Because of the increases in these deaths during 2020–2021, including among adults in the same age group, excessive alcohol use could account for an even higher proportion of total deaths during that 2-year period. During this time, deaths from excessive drinking among males increased approximately 27%, from 94,362 per year to 119,606, and among females increased approximately 35%, from 43,565 per year to 58,701.

The report shows an estimated 400 million people lived with alcohol use disorders globally. Rates of alcohol-induced deaths have risen over the past 2 decades, with a sharp increase during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the period, the largest overall annual increase occurred between 2019 and 2020, where the rate increased 26%, from 10.4 per 100,000 standard population to 13.1. During this 2019–2020 period, males and females each had their largest year-to-year percentage increase over the study period, at 26% and 27%, respectively.

Things You Can Do to Prevent Alcohol-Related Deaths

While dry January and damp lifestyles have taken off on TikTok, the United States has already experienced a spike in deaths related to excessive alcohol. KFF maintains full editorial control over all of its policy analysis, polling, and journalism activities. All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.

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