Alcohol-related deaths are increasing in the US, and a new study ties part of the rise to Covid-19. More than 85% of US adults drink. About 25% binge drink, and about 6% are addicted to alcohol. Pandemic stress and working from home likely pushed drinking up. Deaths from liver disease, crashes and other alcohol causes followed.
Summary: More than 85% of US adults say they drink alcohol. Data suggests about 25% of people binge drink. About 6% of adults seem to be addicted to alcohol. Long-term alcohol abuse causes early death in many ways, like car crashes or liver disease. The new study suggests Covid-19 raised drinking and alcohol-related deaths. This may be due to more mental stress, working from home and other reasons.
Drinking is very common and part of Western culture. So it is no surprise that nice neighborhoods are full of pubs, bars and more. Many people have a drink after a hard day at work. A drink helps people relax and talk, and it is fun. Most people know that too much alcohol can harm health. But many do not see how big the problem is. That may explain the rising deaths from alcohol addiction.
US data shows that about 85% of all adults drink alcohol. Casual drinking is not the problem. But US numbers are alarming. They show that one-fourth of US adults binge drink. So one-fourth of the population is at risk of disorders from heavy drinking and of early death.
Studies also suggest about 7% of US adults live with alcohol addiction. An estimated 14.5 million people older than 12 years of age have alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD, or alcohol addiction, is a disease that must be treated, or it can badly harm health. Sadly, only about 10% of people with AUD or alcohol addiction seek treatment for it. Instead of seeking alcohol addiction treatment, people are more likely to seek care for the health problems heavy drinking causes.
Alcohol addiction or heavy drinking can cause early death in many ways. These include car crashes, homicides, alcohol overdose, suicides, liver disease, kidney failure and cancer. Worryingly, people of working age are more likely to drink too much. Heavy drinking now causes more than 140,000 deaths in the US each year. That is about one in ten deaths among working-age adults.
What the new studies add is that deaths from heavy drinking are rising. That confirms a worrying trend. The overall rate of drinking has not changed much in the last few decades. But more people are binge drinking.
The study looked closely at how the Covid-19 epidemic changed drinking habits. Covid-19 caused a lot of stress. More people also started working from home. The study confirmed that this led to heavy drinking. That led to a small rise in alcohol-related deaths in the US, from 2.8% in 2019 to 3% in 2020.
The data may show only a small rise in alcohol-related deaths. Still, the numbers matter. They show an upward trend that cannot be ignored.
Drinking in moderation does carry many health threats. But binge drinking (four or more drinks) or heavy drinking (eight or more drinks) can badly harm health. To prevent deaths from heavy drinking, people should seek care for alcohol use disorder (AUD) itself, not just for the health problems it causes.
Treating alcohol addiction or AUD is different from treating drug addiction. AUD often comes from years of drinking. Often a person may not even know they have it. Most of them start by drinking moderate amounts. But over time, or because of stress, they may begin to abuse alcohol.
Frequently asked questions
How many people die from alcohol each year?
Heavy drinking causes more than 140,000 deaths in the US every year. That is about one in ten deaths among working-age adults. Casual drinking is not what drives those numbers. Binge drinking and years of heavy drinking are. That is why treating the drinking itself matters more than treating each problem it causes.
Are alcohol-related deaths increasing?
Yes. The new study confirms that deaths from heavy drinking are rising. In the US they went from 2.8% of deaths in 2019 to 3% in 2020. The overall rate of drinking has not changed much in decades. But more people now binge drink, and the stress of Covid-19 and working from home pushed drinking higher.
What causes alcohol-related deaths?
Heavy drinking kills in many ways: car crashes, homicides, alcohol overdose, suicides, liver disease, kidney failure and cancer. Working-age adults are the most likely to drink too much. So these deaths fall hardest on people in the middle of their working lives, not only on the elderly.
What counts as binge drinking or heavy drinking?
Binge drinking is four or more drinks, and heavy drinking is eight or more. About one in four US adults binge drinks. That puts a quarter of the population at risk of alcohol-related disorders and early death. The danger is the pattern of drinking too much, not an occasional drink after work.
Why do so few people get treatment for alcohol addiction?
Only about 10% of people with alcohol use disorder seek treatment for it. Many do not know they have it, because it builds over years. Moderate drinking turns into heavy drinking with time or stress. They seek care for the damage alcohol causes instead. Treating the alcohol use disorder itself is what prevents these deaths.
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