Alcohol-related deaths in U.S. more than doubled in past two decades, research finds

The number of deaths caused by alcohol-related diseases more than doubled among Americans between 1999 and 2020, according to new research (Source: “Alcohol Deaths Have More Than Doubled in Two Decades, Study Finds,” New York Times, Nov. 22).
 
Alcohol was involved in nearly 50,000 deaths among adults ages 25 to 85 in 2020, up from just under 20,000 in 1999.
 
The increases were in all age groups. The biggest spike was observed among adults ages 25 to 34, whose fatality rate increased nearly fourfold between 1999 and 2020.
 
Women are still far less likely than men to die of an illness caused by alcohol, but they also experienced a steep surge, with rates rising 2.5-fold over 20 years.
 
The new study, published in The American Journal of Medicine, drew on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.