Per capita consumption of alcohol, measured as gallons of pure alcohol per person, increased by 2.9% in 2020.
This was the largest increase in more than 50 years, since a 3.4% increase in 1968.
The annual total number of alcohol deaths increased from 78,927 (2019) to 99,017 (2020) to 108,791 in 2021.

Author

NIAAA Spectrum

Citation

Alcohol-Related Deaths Continued To Increase in 2021, in: NIAAA Spectrum, Volume 15, Issue 1, Winter 2023

Source
NIAAA Spectrum, Volume 15, Issue 1, Winter 2023
Release date
28/02/2023

Alcohol-Related Deaths Continued To Increase in 2021

By the numbers

The figure shows the number of alcohol deaths each month in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

© NIAAA Spectrum, Volume 15, Issue 1, Winter 2023

The annual total number of alcohol deaths increased from 78,927 to 99,017 between 2019 and 2020. That is a 25% increase.

38%
Rise in alcohol deaths between 2019 and 2021
The rise in alcohol deaths from 78,927 (2019) to 108,791 (2021) means an 38% increase in alcohol-related mortality in that time period.

The annual total number of alcohol deaths increased from 99,017 to 108,791 between 2020 and 2021. That is another 10% increase.

108,791
Deaths due to alcohol in 2021 in the United States
The annual total number of alcohol deaths increased from 78,927 (2019) to 99,017 (2020) to 108,791 in 2021.

A death was considered alcohol-related if alcohol was listed in a death certificate as the primary cause (e.g., alcohol-associated liver disease) or a contributing factor (e.g., death from a fall while intoxicated).

Rates of deaths involving alcohol increased by less than 2.5% per year in the two decades leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 25% leap in 2020 was unprecedented.

Per capita consumption of alcohol, measured as gallons of pure alcohol per person, increased by 2.9% in 2020.

This was the largest increase in more than 50 years, since a 3.4% increase in 1968. 

2.9%
Rise in population-level alcohol use in 2020
Per capita consumption of alcohol, measured as gallons of pure alcohol per person, increased by 2.9% in 2020.

The fact that alcohol-related deaths continued to climb in 2021 is truly concerning,” said Aaron White, Ph.D., Senior Scientific Advisor to the NIAAA Director.

NIAAA’s hope is that continuing to educate the public and the health care community about the potential health risks of excessive alcohol consumption and that continuing to emphasize the importance of alcohol screening and brief intervention can help bring these numbers down.”

Aaron White, Ph.D., Senior Scientific Advisor to the NIAAA Director

References

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [Internet]. National Center for Health Statistics Mortality Data on CDC WONDER. Multiple cause of death, 2018–2021. 2023. [cited 2023 Feb 9]. Available from: https://wonder.cdc.gov/controller/saved/D157/D324F825

NIAAA. Surveillance report #119: apparent per capita alcohol consumption: national, state, and regional trends, 1977–2020. [cited 2023 Jan 19]. Available from: https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/surveillance119/CONS20.htm

About

NIAAA Spectrum is NIAAA’s webzine. With engaging feature articles, short news updates, and colorful graphics, NIAAA Spectrum offers accessible and relevant information on NIAAA and the alcohol research field.

Source Website: NIAAA Spectrum