Alcohol Third Leading Preventable Cause of Death in the US

Alcohol-Related Statistics from the CDC and NIH

According to the Centers for Disease Control, from 2006 to 2010 around 88,000 people died each year from alcohol-related causes.  This includes chronic causes such as pancreatitis and liver disease as well as acute causes such as alcohol-related crashes and drowning.  Behind tobacco and obesity, alcohol has become the third leading preventable cause of death.  Issues related to alcohol or alcohol abuse affect nearly every demographic in the United States and across the world.  Whether someone has lost a family member due to alcoholism or in a fatal alcohol-related car crash, the harsh reality is that alcohol can be deadly.

Harmful effects related to alcohol use is most prevalent for those 35 and above according to the CDC’s report but there is a prevalence of binge drinking and heavy alcohol use in those under 35 as well.   The largest percentage of deaths under the acute causes of alcohol abuse came from motor-vehicle traffic crashes.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that as of 2015 over 15 million adults suffer from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in the United States and that only around 6.7 percent of those suffering from AUD sought treatment.  The vast majority of alcohol abuse often goes untreated.

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world.  Alcohol dependence affects millions of households across the United States and can affect nearly every aspect of a person’s life including their health, family and freedom.