CDC: Alcohol responsible for 10 percent of all working age adult deaths in America

[hack89]

Introduction
Excessive alcohol consumption is a leading cause of premature mortality in the United States. The objectives of this study were to update national estimates of alcohol-attributable deaths (AAD) and years of potential life lost (YPLL) in the United States, calculate age-adjusted rates of AAD and YPLL in states, assess the contribution of AAD and YPLL to total deaths and YPLL among working-age adults, and estimate the number of deaths and YPLL among those younger than 21 years.

Methods
We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Alcohol-Related Disease Impact application for 2006–2010 to estimate total AAD and YPLL across 54 conditions for the United States, by sex and age. AAD and YPLL rates and the proportion of total deaths that were attributable to excessive alcohol consumption among working-age adults (20-64 y) were calculated for the United States and for individual states.

Results
From 2006 through 2010, an annual average of 87,798 (27.9/100,000 population) AAD and 2.5 million (831.6/100,000) YPLL occurred in the United States. Age-adjusted state AAD rates ranged from 51.2/100,000 in New Mexico to 19.1/100,000 in New Jersey. Among working-age adults, 9.8% of all deaths in the United States during this period were attributable to excessive drinking, and 69% of all AAD involved working-age adults.

Conclusions
Excessive drinking accounted for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age adults in the United States. AAD rates vary across states, but excessive drinking remains a leading cause of premature mortality nationwide. Strategies recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force can help reduce excessive drinking and harms related to it.

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/13_0293.htm

America is an alcohol culture - we have been conditioned to think we can't have fun without drinking alcohol.

[onecaliberal]

1. But hey let's continue to let

The alcohol and drug lobby rail against legalizing marijuana.

[Mnemosyne]

2. And cannabis has killed how many people? nt

[Nuclear Unicorn]

6. This many --

[Mnemosyne]

12. Shocking indeed! nt

[Eleanors38]

13. God, how I've tried.

[madokie]

3. I'm happy I survived my drinking years

[brewens]

4. I no longer drink competitively but I sure could back in the day.

I'd actually be quite happy still getting drunk three or four times a week but I can't. I can't stand the hangovers and can't afford it.

[NM_Birder]

5. That can't be right, it doesn't blame assault rifles anywhere in the article.

[The Straight Story]

7. We should ban alcohol in bars

People seeing other people drink may influence them to drink (like seeing people smoke in movies).

Also, ban parking lots at bars - they lead to people drinking and driving ("second hand drinking" kills and injures many people). It also leads to loud fighting so ban drinking it in multi-family dwellings.

Of course, a lot of wealthy people and law makers drink so having a shaming campaign probably won't lead to new laws, we need to focus such campaigns on what poor people do (they are easier targets for shaming and changing their ways to align more with our personal morals and religious beliefs).

[Spider Jerusalem]

8. You think America has an alcohol culture, you should come to the UK

I've been in a grocery on a Friday evening and been the only person in the queue at the checkout not buying booze. On Friday and Saturday nights in some places the city centres are hazardous areas because of groups of bingeing louts having fights, staggering about, pissing and puking out in the open; the higher drink prices here mean people "pre-load" on cheap booze they've bought in an off-licence on the train into town before hitting the bars and clubs to get properly arseholed.

[Fred M]

9. or Germany!

[Spider Jerusalem]

10. The Germans probably aren't as bad about the binge drinking as Brits though

(also, hello fellow Georgian gone trans-Atlantic; I'm originally from the Atlanta area--I did it wrong; I was supposed to leave the country if Obama lost the election)

[Fred M]

11. Have the Falcons traded Ryan yet?

That guy's oor very own Tony Romo

[Eleanors38]

14. I've heard Wisconsin is way out in front; Texas distant 2nd

in per capita consumption.