Recent government data reveals a significant surge in fatalities where alcohol played a prominent role, with a particularly pronounced impact on women compared to men.
Based on a study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average annual number of deaths attributed to excessive alcohol consumption in the United States rose by over 40,000 (equating to a 29% increase) between 2016 and 2021.
In simpler terms, the study found that an average of 488 Americans succumbed to excessive drinking each day during 2020 and 2021.
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Furthermore, the rate of this increase appears to be accelerating; while deaths involving alcohol rose by 5% between 2016 and 2019, they surged by 23% between 2018 and 2021.
Women’s Alcohol-Related Deaths Surpass Men’s
The report revealed that while men still experience higher alcohol-related mortality rates compared to women, the rate of increase in fatalities among women due to excessive drinking surpasses that of men.
Over the study period, deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use among women increased by approximately 35%, in contrast to a rise of about 27% among men.
The newly gathered data scrutinized deaths directly linked to alcohol consumption, such as alcoholic liver disease or acute intoxication, as well as more indirect causes like the contribution of heavy drinking to cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke.
Rising Female Deaths: Alcohol and Heart Issues
Throughout the study duration, death rates escalated for most categories of alcohol-related fatalities, with the highest rates among females observed for heart disease and stroke, as highlighted by a team led by CDC alcohol researcher Marissa Esser.
The researchers attributed the persistent and sharp increase in deaths to various factors, including expanded alcohol accessibility such as home delivery services, a trend that emerged during pandemic lockdowns.
Moreover, binge drinking appears to be on the rise, evidenced by the CDC team’s observation that the prevalence of binge drinking among adults aged 35-50 was higher in 2022 than in any other year over the past decade.
The escalation in alcohol-related deaths raises concerns about future implications, cautioned Esser’s team.
To reverse these trends, the researchers advocate for measures such as increasing taxes on alcohol and reducing the number of licensed outlets selling alcoholic beverages, which they believe could contribute positively to the situation.