Graphic of the week

April is Alcohol Awareness Month and HPIO analysis has found alcohol use is increasing in Ohio, affecting the health of many Ohioans.

Alcohol use is influenced by many factors, including stress, trauma, mental health challenges and experiences of discrimination. However, alcohol use can worsen symptoms of mental health conditions over time and lead to other health challenges.

As illustrated above, liquor sales in Ohio increased by 98% from 2000 to 2020. The pandemic appears to have accelerated alcohol consumption trends that began during the past decade. The sharp increase in the amount of liquor sold in Ohio from 2017 to 2020 indicates that an existing upward trend in alcohol consumption may have been exacerbated by social isolation and stress during the pandemic.

Since 2007, deaths among working-age Ohioans related to chronic liver disease and cirrhosis -- deaths that are directly related to alcohol consumption -- increased by 72%.

A CDC report released last week found that, nationally, deaths from excessive drinking are reversing historic trends, with rates among women now climbing faster than among men (Source: “More Women Are Drinking Themselves Sick. The Biden Administration Is Concerned.,” Kaiser Health News, March 28).

The CDC has developed a self-screening tool that allows users to gauge their alcohol use and create a personalized plan to drink less.

Excessive drinking is one of the more than 100 metrics included in HPIO’s 2024 Health Value Dashboard, which will be released Tuesday, April 9.

HPIO is hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 11, 2024, to explore key findings from the Dashboard and elevate policy priorities to improve health value in Ohio. For more information and to register, click here.