{"id":2572,"date":"2025-01-15T22:18:34","date_gmt":"2025-01-15T22:18:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tcysapc.org\/?p=2572"},"modified":"2025-02-05T22:25:36","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T22:25:36","slug":"alcohol-related-deaths-in-u-s-jumped-29-percent-in-5-years-heres-why-according-to-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tcysapc.org\/?p=2572","title":{"rendered":"Alcohol-related deaths in U.S. jumped 29 percent in 5 years, here\u2019s why, according to experts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"FavoriteIn the United States, deaths tied to excessive alcohol<\/a> use rose 29 percent in just five years, according to federal data out this week, an increase that has alarmed experts.\u00a0\u00a0 study published this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated an annual average of nearly 138,000 people dying from alcohol-related causes, such as motor vehicle crashes, alcohol poisoning, cancer and cirrhosis, based on data from 2016 to 2017. By 2020 to 2021, alcohol contributed to more than 178,000 U.S. deaths per year on average, the report said.<\/p>\n

The study was based on data from the CDC\u2019s Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application, which assesses 58 conditions linked to alcohol consumption that the public health agency has examined for two decades, said Marissa Esser, the study\u2019s lead author.<\/p>\n

While several factors led to this dramatic increase, \u201cthe main one was most likely the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University. A combination of stress, tremendous loss of life due to the virus and isolation from friends and family contributed to mental health struggles that compelled many people to self-medicate with alcohol, Siegel said.<\/p>\n

During the pandemic, alcohol also became easier to purchase. The rise of home delivery services for alcohol enabled people to avoid stepping outside and possibly getting sick, but also further isolated them, Siegel said. Other policy changes, like permitting alcohol to be carried in to-go cups, posed \u201ca risk factor for excessive alcohol use,\u201d Esser said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This rise in alcohol-related deaths is \u201cmost likely going to hold steady,\u201d Siegel said, unless the U.S. takes action in response to the problem. For example, research shows that raising taxes on alcohol can bring down consumption, according to both Esser and Siegel.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to intervene to bring these numbers down,\u201d Siegel said.\u00a0\u00a0In addition to pandemic stress, stigma around seeking mental health services and an overburdened mental health care system have further perpetuated conditions that led to an increase in alcohol-related deaths, he said, despite the existence of proven treatments and medications.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a stigma in our society that treats mental health as if there\u2019s something wrong with you,\u201d he said. \u201cWe wouldn\u2019t say to someone with pneumonia, \u2018Wow, you really have pneumonia. What a shame. Shame on you.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/health\/alcohol-related-deaths-in-u-s-jumped-29-percent-in-5-years-heres-why-according-to-experts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

US deaths tied to excessive alcohol use rose 29 percent in just five years, according to federal data out this week. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t