A recent study revealed that it may be crucial for everyone to be careful of their alcohol usage. A beer, glass of wine, or cocktail may feel so routine that you don’t even think about pouring another.
According to a study published on Tuesday in JAMA Network Open, excessive alcohol use is thought to be a contributing factor in 1 in 5 fatalities of Americans between the ages of 20 and 49. According to the survey, 1 in 8 deaths among those between the ages of 20 and 64 were caused by drinking.
According to main study author Dr. Marissa Esser, who oversees the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s alcohol program, the percentage of deaths attributable to alcohol use varied from state to state but is a top cause of preventable death nationally.
As per CNN, researchers examined deaths that were either completely or partially linked to excessive drinking using national and state mortality data from 2015 to 2019. According to Esser, these causes of mortality included car accidents, alcohol poisoning, and other health effects like liver illness.
According to the data, Esser continued, the number of deaths entirely attributed to alcohol has increased over the last ten years. David Jernigan, a professor of health law, policy, and management at Boston University, stated, “I’m not surprised by the numbers.” “This estimate is conservative.” Jernigan wasn’t a part of the investigation.
Esser claimed that the study’s researchers were unable to account for several deaths that alcohol probably played a part in. Alcohol may have contributed to some illnesses, but researchers were unable to definitively confirm this. In other instances, they were unable to ascertain whether a person who passed away from a disease had a history of binge drinking before quitting, Esser continued.
Additionally, according to Jernigan, people frequently underreport how much they drink. It doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as it ought to, he claimed. The basic fact is that excessive alcohol consumption is a significant problem in the US, as research continues to reveal.
Jernigan stated that encouraging practically everyone to drink less should be the aim of state and local government organizations for health and safety. States and communities can avoid these early demises by implementing evidence-based measures to restrict access to alcohol and raise the cost of alcohol, according to Esser.
According to Esser, this might entail raising alcohol taxes or restricting where it can be purchased. Esser indicated that individuals might try to cut back on or moderate their alcohol usage.
According to the CDC, moderate drinking is defined as two drinks or less for males and one drink or fewer for women each day. According to the group, two-thirds of respondents admit to drinking more than moderately at least once every month.
According to the CDC, one in six adults binge drinks, which is defined as having four or more drinks on one occasion for a woman and five or more for a man, with a quarter of those binge drinking at least weekly.
