{"id":18457,"date":"2025-01-11T17:26:27","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T16:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/?p=18457"},"modified":"2025-05-11T16:18:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T15:18:51","slug":"americas-most-common-drug-problem-unhealthy-alcohol-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugprevent.org.uk\/ppp\/2025\/01\/americas-most-common-drug-problem-unhealthy-alcohol-use\/","title":{"rendered":"America\u2019s Most Common Drug Problem? Unhealthy Alcohol Use"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Few patients know about evidence-based treatment\u2014or have or seek access to it<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Fact Sheet<\/span>\u00a0

Projects:<\/span>Substance Use Prevention and Treatment<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n
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Overview<\/strong><\/figure>\n<\/section>\n
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Alcohol is the leading driver of substance use-related fatalities in America: Each year, frequent or excessive drinking causes approximately 178,000 deaths.1<\/sup>\u00a0Excessive alcohol use is common in the United States among people who drink: In 2022, of the 137 million Americans who reported drinking in the last 30 days, 45% reported binge drinking (five or more drinks in a sitting for men; four for women).2<\/sup>\u00a0Such excessive drinking is associated with health problems such as injuries, alcohol poisoning, cardiovascular conditions, mental health problems, and certain cancers.3<\/sup><\/p>\n

In 2020, many people increased their drinking because of COVID-19-related stressors, including social isolation, which led to a 26% increase in alcohol-related deaths during the first year of the pandemic.4<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Figure 1<\/span><\/header>\n
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Alcohol\u2011Related Deaths Have Increased Since 2016<\/h1>\n

Growth is driven by increases in both acute and chronic causes of death<\/p>\n<\/header>\n

Stacked bar graph shows yearly increases in alcohol-related deaths attributed to both chronic and acute causes from 2016-17 through 2020-21. Deaths related to chronic causes increased from approximately 89,000 to approximately 117,000 (a 32% increase), while acute deaths increased from approximately 49,000 to approximately 61,000 (a 24% increase).<\/p>\n

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Chronic causesAcute causes2016-172018\u2013192020\u201321050,000100,000150,000200,000<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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Notes: Chronic causes of death include illness related to excessive alcohol use such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke, and diseases of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas. Acute causes include alcohol-related poisonings, car crashes, and suicide.<\/p>\n

Source: Marissa B. Esser et al., \u201cDeaths From Excessive Alcohol Use\u2014United States, 2016-2021,\u201d\u00a0Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report<\/em>\u00a073, no. 8154-61,\u00a0https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/mmwr\/volumes\/73\/wr\/mm7308a1.htm#T1_down<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a9 2024 The Pew Charitable Trusts<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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Nationwide, nearly 30 million people are estimated to have alcohol use disorder (AUD); it is the most common substance use disorder. AUD is a treatable, chronic health condition characterized by a person\u2019s inability to reduce or quit drinking despite negative social, professional, or health effects.5<\/sup>\u00a0While no single cause is responsible for developing AUD, a mix of biological, psychological, and environmental factors can increase an individual\u2019s risk, including a family history of the disorder.6<\/sup><\/p>\n

There are well-established guidelines for AUD screening and treatment, including questions that can be asked by a person\u2019s health care team, medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), behavioral therapies, and recovery supports, but these approaches often are not put into practice.7<\/sup>\u00a0When policies encourage the adoption of screening and evidence-based medicines for AUD, particularly in primary care, the burden of alcohol-related health problems can be reduced across the country.8<\/sup><\/p>\n

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The Spectrum of Unhealthy Alcohol Use<\/h4>\n

For adults of legal drinking age, U.S. dietary guidelines recommend that they choose not to drink or drink in moderation, defined as two drinks or fewer in a day for men, and one drink or fewer in a day for women.9<\/sup>\u00a0One drink is defined as 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol\u2014the amount in a 12-ounce beer containing 5% alcohol, a 5-ounce glass of wine containing 12% alcohol, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.10<\/sup><\/p>\n

Consumption patterns exceeding these recommended levels are considered:<\/p>\n