The number of alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. nearly doubled over the last 25 years, researchers said Wednesday.
The largest spike occurred at the height of the Covid pandemic, when fatalities peaked sharply at 54,258 deaths.
Most were due to liver disease, and alcohol-related mental disorders, they said. Deaths from chronic diseases related to alcohol, which have also been rising, were not included in the research.
"The rise in alcohol-induced mortality is widespread and affects the entire country, with particularly large surges arising during the Covid-19 pandemic,” the UCLA researchers said in a statement.
The findings build on research earlier this year showing that alcohol-related cancer and liver disease deaths have more than doubled over the last two decades. The number of alcohol-associated liver disease deaths between 1999 and 2022 was found to be highest among women and young people — highlighting a trend that researchers said was “concerning.”
Alcohol use and deaths have increased among women. It’s unknown why this is the case, but but experts have tied the worrying rise to social behavior.
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Dr. Peter Martin previously told NBC News that “it’s become more and more socially acceptable for women to drink as much as men.”
UCLA researchers found similarly concerning numbers for women from their mid-twenties to mid-thirties when looking at data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The number of alcohol-related deaths for women between the ages of 25 and 34 years old has surged by 255 percent, rising from 0.9 deaths per 100,000 people in 1999 to 3.2 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024.
"The rapid rise of alcohol-induced deaths among women is particularly concerning,” UCLA adjunct professor Maria D’Orsogna said. “Although men still die at higher rates, the gender gap appears to be closing.”
The group with the second largest increase in deaths were men in the same age range, with deaths up 188 percent between 1999 and 2024. Alaska Native and Native American populations remained the most affected race.
The authors said their findings underscore the importance of policies targeted at these groups and expanded access to treatment.
