Alcohol to blame for 1 in 5 young adult deaths in US

For anyone who thinks alcoholism isn't a deadly disease, a new government report shows alcohol abuse caused nearly 13% of deaths in American adults under 65 between 2015 and 2019.

The statistics were even more grim among younger U.S. adults: In people aged 20 to 49, alcohol abuse was the cause of 20% of deaths.

"States and communities can prevent thesepremature deathsusing evidence-based strategies to reduce the availability and accessibility of alcohol and increase its price, including increasingalcohol taxesand regulating the number and concentration of places that sell alcohol," said lead researcher Marissa Esser. She is lead of theAlcohol Programat the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta.

According to the new report,excessive alcohol useaccounted for more than 140,000 deaths per year. "Two-thirds of these deaths were among adults aged 20 to 64," Esser said.

The researchers noted that things only got worse during the pandemic: Compared with 2019, deaths from alcohol increased during 2020.

Deaths fromalcohol abusevaried by state, Esser said. "The proportion of deaths from excessive alcohol use to total deaths among adults aged 20 to 64 ranged from 9% of total deaths in Mississippi to 22% in New Mexico," she added.

The leading causes of these deaths were alcoholic liver disease, using another substance in addition to having a high blood alcohol level, and car crashes, Esser said.

For the study, Esser's team used data from the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

"Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death, yet it remains under-recognized as apublic health problem, and effective prevention strategies are underutilized," Esser said.

These deaths can be reduced by raising liquor taxes and limiting where alcohol is sold, she suggested.

The findings were published online Nov. 1 inJAMA Network Open.

“过度饮酒会导致酒精deaths, including digestive, cardiovascular,infectious diseasesand cancers," said social worker Patrick Vitale, director of behavioral health at Project Outreach in West Hempstead, N.Y.

"It also plays a significant role in motor vehicle crashes, violence, falls, burns, drownings and overdose deaths," he added.

The study underscores the disastrous impact alcohol misuse has in communities, Vitale said, and "it highlights the need for us to view alcohol use disorders as a chronic health care issue, like other illnesses such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease."

Work is needed to normalize conversations around alcohol use so universal screenings can be expanded and create an environment in which someone feels comfortable seeking help, Vitale said.

“有一个wide array of services available, including medical detox, inpatient, outpatient, self-help and medication-assisted recovery to help those who may be experiencing an issue," he said.

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