Alcohol-related deaths in the United States climbed steeply over the decade from 2007 to 2017, with women accounting for the sharpest increase, according to University of Washington data published on 2018-11-20.
The figures show a 35 percent rise in alcohol-related deaths overall during that period. Among women alone, the increase was 67 percent, a trend researchers said had received far less attention than the opioid crisis.
The data was first reported by USA Today and formed part of a broader University of Washington analysis covering death rates, causes of death, birth rates, fertility and other global health measures. The US figures stood out because they pointed to a particularly troubling rise among women.
Max Griswold of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, which was set up at the University of Washington by Bill and Melinda Gates, told USA Today: “The story is that no one has noticed this.” He added: “It hasn’t really been researched before.”
Researchers said the increase was difficult to tie to one single cause, but noted that alcohol has become more socially accepted in settings where women were once discouraged from drinking. Deidra Roach, MD, medical project officer of the NIAAA Division of Treatment and Recovery Research, told WebMD: “It’s gone from being taboo for women to drink at all to being expected in some settings, professional groups – even to drink to intoxication.”
Roach also said women are generally smaller than men and have less total body water and more total body fat, which means blood alcohol levels rise more quickly and remain elevated longer. She said the harmful effects can appear sooner in women even when men and women drink the same amount.
Alcohol can contribute to death through liver disease, cancer, accidents and serious digestive problems. The researchers said the rise in fatalities had largely unfolded under the radar while public attention remained focused on opioids.
Nyakundi Report notes that the source article was published on 2018-11-20 and drew on University of Washington findings that compared 2007 and 2017 mortality data.
