According to a report released on Friday by the CDC, alcohol-related mortality increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the age-adjusted rate rising by 26% between 2019 and 2020.
In 2020, there were around 49,000 alcohol-related fatalities, up from just under 39,000 the year before. The CDC reported using data from the National Vital Statistics System that alcohol caused 13.1 fatalities for every 100,000 individuals in 2020, up from 10.4 deaths for every 100,000 persons in 2019.
According to the CDC, alcohol-related mortality increased by roughly 7% year between 2000 and 2018, but it appears that people drank more as a result of the isolation and fear brought on by the pandemic.
“We are aware that people typically begin drinking more when there has been a significant trauma to the public, such as 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina. As we all know, the epidemic has caused significant stress in our lives, according to George F. Koob, PhD, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, who spoke to CNN.
According to a number of minor studies, 25% of the population increased their drinking, and those persons were those who used alcohol as a stress reliever. And a lot of people who use alcohol as a stress reliever eventually develop alcohol use disorders.
According to the CDC, there were around 60 deaths for every 100,000 people among men in the 55 to 64 age bracket. With about 21 deaths per 100,000 persons, the 55 to 64 age group likewise had the highest death rate for women.
Alcohol-related fatalities per 100,000 individuals for men across all age groups increased from 15.2 in 2019 to 19.2 in 2020. Over that time, such deaths increased from 5.9 to 7.5 for women of all ages.
According to the CDC, deaths from alcoholic liver disease, mental and behavioural disorders, and acute pancreatitis caused by alcohol increased by 50%, 33%, and 23%, respectively.
The study covers drinking-related mortality like alcohol poisoning and alcoholic liver disease. Unintentional injuries, murders, and fatalities indirectly or partially attributable to alcohol use were excluded, according to the CDC.
