Jan 14, 2020 -KALAMAZOO, Mich. — As many consider ‘Dry January,’ researchers uncover new statistics on alcohol-related deaths. Statistics show the number of alcohol-related deaths per year among people aged 16+ doubled from 35,914 in 1999 to 72,558 in 2017.
A new analysis of death certificates, released by the Research Society on Alcoholism, shows numbers have grown rapidly in recent decades.
The American Addiction Centers gave five tips to avoid alcohol poisoning:
- Drink in moderation, or stick to one drink per hour
- Drink water after every one or two drinks
- Never drink on an empty stomach
- Avoid drinking games or situations where there is pressure to drink too much
- Don’t mix alcohol with other substances, including prescription medications
More men than died of alcohol-related causes each year, but the increase over time was larger for women than for men.
“Increases in alcohol use and related harms among women are concerning given growing evidence that women are at greater risk than men at comparable levels of alcohol exposure for alcohol-related cardiovascular diseases, certain cancers, alcohol-related liver disease, and acute liver failure due to excessive drinking,” authors said.
“Because women reach higher blood alcohol levels than men of comparable weights after consuming the same amount of alcohol, their body tissues are exposed to more alcohol and acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolite of alcohol, after each drink.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control, excessive alcohol use led to 88,000 deaths each year in the United States from 2006 to 2010. CDC statistics also showed excessive drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults ages 20-64 years.
Centers for Disease Control officials said to take a few minutes to:
- Discuss all medications you are taking (including over-the-counter) with your health provider
- Use prescription drugs only as directed by a health care provider, and store them in a secure place
- Dispose of medications properly, as soon as the course of treatment is done. Do not keep prescription medications around “just in case”
- Help prevent misuse and abuse by not selling or sharing prescription drugs. Never use another person’s prescription drugs
- Discuss pregnancy plans with your health provider before taking prescription painkillers
- Follow directions on the label when you give or take medicines
- Get help for substance abuse problems 1-800- 662-HELP; call Poison Help 1-800-222-1222 for questions about medicines
