The study found that alcohol-related deaths in the United States increased by 40,000 over five years. The toll is huge: About 178,000 people died in 2021 from drinking too much, compared to 138,000 in 2016. During that time, deaths rose 27 percent among men and 35 percent among women.
Dr. Siegel attributed the increase possibly to people’s high stress levels during the pandemic, along with increased home delivery services offered by the beverage industry. “Anytime you make something easier to get, you see an increase in usage in response,” he said.
What’s missing: Data is limited.
The researchers concluded that their estimates of alcohol-related deaths were too conservative because the data included only active drinkers. In addition, deaths from various diseases, including tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, for which excessive alcohol consumption is a risk factor, were not tabulated. However, the researchers counted 58 related causes, including some deaths directly related to overeating, such as alcohol dependence syndrome or poisoning, and other conditions less directly related, including breast cancer, heart disease and car accidents .
Facts to remember: Binge drinking is also on the rise.
The CDC analysis adds more urgency to recent research showing increases in binge drinking among middle-aged adults. Among 35- to 50-year-olds, a group that includes millennials and Gen Xers, binge drinking was at its highest level in decades. 29% reported consuming five or more drinks in a row in 2022, up from 23% in 2012.
That annual survey, called Monitoring the Future, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, also found that the same age group reported high use of marijuana and hallucinogens.
Policy Fixes: Taxes, Sales Limits and Advice.
The CDC study notes that states and counties can try to reverse the death toll by promoting policies to raise alcohol prices, possibly through taxes and making the products harder to sell. The agency also suggested that mass media campaigns could encourage people to drink less.
Another suggestion: Train doctors how to ask patients about their alcohol use and make a plan with them to cut back.
More evidence is emerging about the harmful effects of drinking.
Researchers are discovering new evidence that suggests even a little alcohol is bad for your health. The volume of research is growing beyond the connection to law enforcement reports related to traffic accidents and homicides. Studies are now linking alcohol use to damage to a person’s DNA and how it can break down cells and cause mutations that develop cancer.
Even red wine, long believed to provide a health benefit, has lost its luster.
Findings that drinking in moderation may not be the key to vibrant health have emerged in recent years, as more scrutiny of influential researchers’ ties to the alcohol industry has also come to light.
