Alcohol-Related Deaths Have Increased, Especially Among Women, Finds New Study

Drinking habits have changed dramatically over the last two decades in the United States and it has surged mainly among women. This impact of this change is visible in the finding of a new study. The study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found that alcohol-related deaths have more than doubled in the past 20 years. According to the report, the number of deaths has reached nearly 73,000 in 2017 from 36,000 in 1999. The total number of deaths in the past 18 years is almost 1 million. The increase is highest among women and middle-aged people and older. The study also found that drinking increased 10.1 per cent and binge drinking increased by 23.3 per cent among women, but it remains unchanged for men. 

George Koob, director of the institute, said that the report is a wakeup call to the threat that alcohol poses. Koob said that alcohol-related deaths are increasing among a large number of population. A higher rate of deaths among older and middle-aged drinkers is a cause of concern as the number of people above 65 years will increase to 95 million in 2060. In 2017, the number of people in the age group is 51 million. Around 2.6 per cent of the total death in 2017 was because of alcohol. 

Women in the age group of 65-to-74 year olds saw the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths in 1999. This was followed by the women in the age group of 55 to 64. But this changed by 2017 as the deaths in the women of the age group 55 to 64 increased in comparison to the age of 45 to 54. The annual rise in death for women jumped to 5.2 per cent a year in 2010-17 from 2.1 per cent a year in 1999-2010. The study said that excessive alcohol drinking can put women at greater risk for certain cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Researchers said further study is needed for understanding the public health burden.