A new study revealed that 88,000 deaths yearly in the United States are related to excessive alcohol drinking. This study highlights the enduring public health impact of excessive alcohol consumption in the continent.
Researchers from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that alcohol-related deaths -- due to direct and indirect alcohol consumption -- are responsible for 88,000 deaths and wasted roughly 2.5 million years of potential life years in the United States.
In the study, they calculated deaths from 2006 to 2010 related to more than 50 alcohol-related accidents and illnesses in 11 states, including California, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, and Wisconsin. They then found that majority of the fatalities due to it are Americans aged 20 to 64.
Based on their demographic data, they looked up each person's life expectancy to come up with the years of life lost. They found that the average mortality rate was about 28.5 per 100,000 people - the lowest was at 22.4 in Utah, and the highest was 50.9 in New Mexico. Additionally, the highest mortality rate depending on race, which is 60.6 per 100,000 people, was among Native Americans and Alaska native.
Based on age ranges, people 65 years old and older had the highest mortality rate at 60.3 per 100,000 people, while the rate of those 20 years old and younger was just at 4.1.
According to L.A. Times, researchers believe that by increasing the price of alcoholic drinks and cutting the number of alcohol-selling stores, the number of fatalities could be reduced. They also advised that the government must make sellers accountable for damages, which results after selling alcohol to minors or customers who are already under the influence of alcohol when purchasing.
Further details of this study can be read on the March 14 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
