The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that alcohol is responsible for the death of one in every 10 individuals in America.
For the study, researchers analysed all the accidents and diseases caused by alcohol. They found that at least 50 alcohol-related health conditions resulted in early death.
"Excessive drinking is associated with a lot more causes of death than what we tend to focus on. Alcohol intake plays a role in at least 54 different conditions linked to death," said Mandy Stahre, an epidemiologist at the Washington state Department of Health who conducted the study while at the CDC, reports HealthDay. "Binge drinking is associated with 51 percent of all deaths due to excessive drinking."
Stahre and her team assessed the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application to measure the number of deaths caused by alcohol between the years 2006 and 2010. The adults were aged between 20 and 64 years.
Researchers also estimated the number of years people lost due to excessive drinking. They found that around 88,000 people die each year due to alcohol-related reasons, whether it is from a car accident or some kind of disease such as acute pancreatitis. Lifespan inthose who drank excessively is reduced by about 30 years.
The team also examined the role of gender and found that men comprised of most of the fatalities at 71 percent. Stahre explained that men were more likely to participate in excessive drinking than women.
"Alcohol isn't totally benign," said Dr. James Garbutt, a professor of psychiatry and a research scientist at the Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "Moderation is very important."
According to the study, the number of alcohol-related deaths was different in different states. In New Mexico, the incidence rate was 51 deaths per year out of 100,000 people. In New Jersey, the rate was a lot lower at 19 deaths per 100,000 people.
"It's shocking to see the public health impact of excessive drinking on working-age adults," said Dr. Robert Brewer, one of the report's authors and head of the CDC's alcohol program, reports Newsday.
The study was published in the journal, Preventing Chronic Disease.
