Rate of Deaths From Alcohol Rising Faster Among Women

Men are almost three times as likely as women to die from alcohol-related causes than women, but the rate of alcohol-related deaths is rising faster among women, a new study finds.

Researchers found alcohol was the cause of about 606,000 deaths in the United States from 1999 through 2020. Those identifying as male were 2.88 times more likely to die compared with those identifying as female, the study found. Between 2018 and 2020, alcohol-related deaths rose 12.5% among men and 15% among women, HealthDay reports.

“This study highlights the importance of not losing sight of the risks of alcohol, despite the widespread and deeply-ingrained normalization of its use in our society,” said Linda Richter, senior vice president for prevention research and analysis at Partnership to End Addiction, who was not involved in the study. “With all the focus on opioids like fentanyl, we’ve taken our eye off the real dangers associated with excessive alcohol use, which causes significantly more deaths annually than all drugs.”