Alcohol-Related Deaths in US Nearly Double Over 2 Decades: Study

Young adults were hit the hardest and the Midwest saw the steepest rise, according to researchers.

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Alcohol is killing Americans at a rate that nearly doubled between 1999 and 2020, and young adults are bearing the brunt of this mounting public health crisis, according to a recent study from Florida Atlantic University.

Researchers found a fourfold spike in alcohol-related fatalities among 25- to 34-year-olds, exposing a trend that experts say is fueled by rising stress, mental health challenges, and a pervasive drinking culture.

Health care providers and their patients should be aware that “individuals who consume moderate to large amounts of alcohol tend to have the highest risks of premature mortality and morbidity,” Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, research professor at Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University and study co-author, told The Epoch Times.

Sex Disparities in Alcohol-Related Mortality

The total number of alcohol-related deaths rose to 48,870 from 19,356, representing a twofold increase, according to the study, which was published in The American Journal of Medicine in November. The mortality rate increased to 21.6 per 100,000 in 2020 from 10.7 per 100,000 in 1999.

The researchers analyzed trends in alcohol-related deaths using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Wide-ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research.

“Our study found significant gender differences in alcohol-related mortality,” senior and corresponding author Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, said in a statement. “While men had higher overall death rates, women experienced a larger relative increase, which may reflect changing social norms and the alcohol industry’s increased targeting of women through marketing campaigns.”

The findings indicated that while both men and women experienced increases in alcohol-related deaths, men had the highest rates in both 1999 and 2020 and saw the steepest overall increase. In contrast, women experienced the largest proportional rise, with deaths jumping from 4.8 per 100,000 in 1999 to 12 per 100,000 in 2020.

Contributing factors to the increased mortality included cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart attacks and strokes, as well as certain cancers and cirrhosis of the liver, according to Hennekens.

Regional Trends and the Response to Alcohol Mortality

Regionally, the Midwest reported the greatest increase in alcohol-related death, with rates rising 2.5 times, followed by the Northeast, West, and South. The study noted that Asian and Pacific Islander communities also experienced a steep rise, with death rates increasing 2.4 times.

“Addressing these factors through tailored interventions could help combat the growing U.S. alcohol mortality epidemic,” Kitsantas said, emphasizing the need for targeted public health initiatives.

Hennekens pointed out the critical need for screening for alcohol use in primary care settings, as heavy alcohol consumption is a leading risk factor for total mortality and cardiovascular disease. Coexisting conditions, such as obesity, can accelerate liver damage, leading to earlier onset of cirrhosis and liver cancer, he noted in the statement.

“These effects may be additive or synergistic and may contribute to greater and earlier onset of alcohol-related mortality,” he told The Epoch Times.

The Role of Mental Health and Social Factors

As alcohol consumption has increased, especially among the younger generations, and polydrug use (using alcohol alongside other drugs such as opioids) has expanded, overdose rates have risen, Sanam Hafeez, neuropsychologist and director of Comprehend the Mind, a provider of neuropsychological assessments and evaluations in New York City, told The Epoch Times.

“With mental health problems, such as stress and loneliness growing, people tend to turn to alcohol to temporarily alleviate their issues because it’s legal and readily available almost everywhere you go,” she said. “Then there is the lack of access to affordable addiction treatment aside from programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, which is often not sufficient on its own to assist alcoholics.”

Hafeez cautioned that the use and “normalcy” of alcohol as a substance have become so prevalent in American culture that its dangers are often not stressed from an early age the same way the dangers of illicit drugs are.

“Solving this issue will require enhanced public health initiatives,” she noted.

What Can Be Done?

Hafeez suggested that addressing the rising number of alcohol-related deaths necessitates a multifaceted approach.

She advocates early intervention and mental health services as part of primary care education; the implementation of harm-reduction policies; and increased public education regarding alcohol, stress, and mental health.

Hafeez also called for “more stringent alcohol advertising laws, especially as they pertain to those under 21 on social media.”

She said that young people often perceive alcohol as glamorous, “particularly as so many celebrities have endorsed liquor brands.”

Another issue is the lack of access to affordable treatments for both inpatient and outpatient care. This barrier to quality detoxification and rehab facilities often prevents those seeking help from accessing it, according to Hafeez.

“The increase in deaths from alcohol underscores the need to address emotional and mental health concerns that fuel dangerous drinking,” she said. “It’s important to transform public attitudes towards drinking, [and] prevention and treatment must involve comprehensive, personalized care.”