1 in 5 deaths of US adults 20 to 49 is from excessive drinking, study shows

alcoholism death

The study was based on data from the CDC’s Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application, which assesses 58 conditions linked to alcohol consumption that the public health agency has examined for two decades, said Marissa Esser, the study’s lead author. In 2022, New Mexico’s death rate was the highest at 42.7 per 100,000 people, which was more than six times higher than Hawaii, the state with the lowest rate at 7.1 per 100,000 people (Figure 4). Evidence-based alcohol policies (e.g., reducing the number and concentration of places selling alcohol and increasing alcohol taxes) could help reverse increasing alcohol-attributable death rates. If you drink heavily or notice signs of liver damage or other health issues that may be related to drinking too much alcohol, talk to your doctor about it.

During end-stage alcoholism, a person may struggle with involuntary rapid eye movement (nystagmus) or weakness and paralysis of the eye muscles due to thiamin (vitamin B1) deficiency. 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. You and your community can take steps to improve everyone’s health and quality of life. It also urges people to be wary of homemade brews, and free drinks or drinks priced far below normal.

Life-Threatening Impairment Symptoms

Treating the alcohol use disorder, along with the health problems caused by chronic, heavy drinking, may be possible. The first step will likely be a medically supervised detox, which will help rid your body of toxins and manage the symptoms of withdrawal. A report released Friday focused on more than a dozen kinds of „alcohol-induced“ deaths that were wholly blamed on drinking.

alcoholism death

She added that the research points to a need to look at steps to reduce alcohol consumption, including increasing alcohol taxes and enacting measures that limit where people can buy beer, wine and liquor. If someone increases their drinking significantly, there could be a problem. Heavy drinking is a threatening practice which can easily transition into alcoholism or an AUD. If you or a loved one struggles with alcohol use and cannot cut back on drinking, there may be a danger of alcoholism. At this point, the drinker depends on alcohol to feel normal and may experience negative symptoms or feelings when they are not drinking.

  1. Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to
  2. Increases in deaths from excessive alcohol use during the study period occurred among all age groups.
  3. The rate of such deaths had been increasing in the two decades before the pandemic, by 7% or less each year.
  4. Methanol is sometimes added deliberately by unscrupulous bars to mixed drinks to give them more “kick” and to save money on using higher-priced ethanol-based spirits such as vodka or rum.

Potential reasons for increases in alcohol-related deaths

Other policy changes, like permitting alcohol to be carried in to-go cups, posed “a risk factor for excessive alcohol use,” Esser said. If drinking alcohol is taking a toll on your mental health, let your doctor know or talk to a licensed mental health specialist such as a counselor or therapist. Methanol is sometimes added deliberately by unscrupulous bars to mixed drinks to give them more “kick” and to save money on using higher-priced ethanol-based spirits such as vodka or rum. This practice is not specific to Laos or Southeast Asia, but occurs wherever taxes on legitimate alcohol or the cost of legitimate alcohol is perceived as being too high, according to the Methanol Institute. Methanol poisoning can cause headaches, dizziness and decreased consciousness including coma, seizure, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and multiple other symptoms, according to the U.S. The CDC recommends seeking medical attention immediately if methanol poisoning is suspected.

Increases Among Males and Females

To address this, recent initiatives are enhancing education for both practicing and training providers through mandatory training programs and curriculum enhancements in medical schools. Further, recent changes to SUD confidentiality regulations are expected to simplify the diagnosis and coordination of care for individuals with substance use disorders (SUD). Insufficient treatment infrastructure or a shortage of a skilled workforce to staff facilities and deliver care can also play a role in treatment rates. By the time a person is in end-stage alcoholism, there can be no denying that drinking has taken over their life and damaged their health.

If left untreated, alcohol poisoning can lead to brain damage or death, so it’s important to receive medical care immediately if you or someone mixing.naltrexone.and hard alcohol you know is experiencing symptoms of alcohol poisoning after drinking. Even before the pandemic, U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up, and Americans were drinking more than when Prohibition was enacted. But deaths may have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began for several reasons, including people with alcohol-related illnesses may have had more trouble getting medical care, Esser said. Findings from the study highlight significant clinical and public health challenges that may benefit from targeted interventions.

Alcohol consumption varies significantly by region worldwide and in the U.S. According to 2019 data, Latvia had the highest annual per capita consumption at 13.2 liters, followed by France at 12.2 and the U.S. at 10. Descriptive data on mortality reveal complex links between alcohol use and premature deaths. Latvia, for example, leads in alcohol consumption and ranks third in total deaths, while France, despite high alcohol consumption, has low cardiovascular mortality but high rates of cirrhosis and liver cancer. In contrast, Russian men have high alcohol consumption and an elevated rate of cardiovascular mortality.

That can mean increasing taxes on alcohol or limiting where alcohol is sold, Esser added. A beer, glass of wine or cocktail may feel so common place that you don’t even think about pouring another, but a new study suggested it may be important for everyone to be mindful of their alcohol use. At the link below you can find a detailed description of the structure of our data pipeline, including links to all the code used to prepare data across Our World in Data. All data and visualizations on Our World in Data rely on data sourced from one or several original data providers.


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