Rising Alcohol-Related Deaths During the Pandemic: New CDC Study Reveals Disturbing Trend
The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching effects on our society, and a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has shed light on one of the more disturbing consequences: an increase in alcohol-related deaths. The study, which analyzed data from 2020 to 2021, revealed that nearly 500 deaths per day could be attributed to excessive alcohol use, a significant rise compared to five years earlier.
Alcohol-related deaths have been on the rise in the United States even before the pandemic hit. However, the COVID-19 crisis exacerbated the problem. Previous research has shown a dramatic increase in deaths and injuries directly caused by alcohol, such as acute alcohol poisoning. Yet, until now, there has been a lack of clear data on the overall trend of all alcohol-related deaths, including those partially caused by alcohol, such as injuries and certain forms of cancer.
To address this gap in knowledge, the authors of the study analyzed U.S. mortality data from three time periods: 2016 to 2017, 2018 to 2019, and 2020 to 2021. They focused on deaths caused by underlying acute and chronic conditions that could be linked to alcohol. For each of these conditions, they estimated the fraction of deaths attributed to alcohol based on CDC research.
The findings were alarming. From 2016 to 2017, there were approximately 137,927 annual average deaths tied to excessive alcohol use. However, from 2020 to 2021, that number had risen to 178,307 deaths, equivalent to about 488 deaths per day. While there was a slight increase in these deaths from 2016 to 2018, the early years of the pandemic saw a much larger relative increase of about 23% compared to 2018. Even after accounting for age, the annual rate of alcohol-related deaths rose from 38 to 48 deaths per every 100,000 people between 2016 and 2021.
Traditionally, men have been more likely to die from alcohol-related causes than women, and this trend continued in 2021, with 119,606 deaths in men compared to 58,701 deaths in women. However, deaths have been rising at a faster rate among women, increasing by 35% since 2016 compared to 27% in men.
The CDC’s findings were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The authors of the study warn that while COVID-19 may be less of a public health threat now due to vaccination efforts, the impact of the pandemic on alcohol-related mortality may be long-lasting. They note that binge drinking among Americans in their thirties to fifties was higher in 2022 than at any other time in the past decade. Even a temporary increase in drinking could lead to a significant number of alcohol-related deaths in the future.
In light of these concerning trends, the authors emphasize the need for evidence-based alcohol policies to curb the rising death rates. Measures such as reducing the number and concentration of places selling alcohol and increasing alcohol taxes could help reverse this dangerous trend.
As we navigate the ongoing effects of the pandemic, it is crucial that we address the issue of excessive alcohol use and its impact on public health. By implementing effective policies and raising awareness about the dangers of excessive drinking, we can work towards reducing alcohol-related deaths and promoting healthier lifestyles for all.
