Rising Harms Of Alcohol: Consumption Among Americans Is Higher Than Just Before Prohibition
More than 88,000 Americans die each year, a number that has more than doubled since 1999, as a result of excessive drinking. That figure is higher than opioid-related deaths, according to the CDC. In other public health news, lawmakers express worries about an increase of cocaine overdoses.
The Associated Press:
US Drinking More Now Than Just Before Prohibition
Americans are drinking more now than when Prohibition was enacted. What’s more, it’s been rising for two decades, and it’s not clear when it will fall again. That’s the picture painted by federal health statistics, which show a rise in per-person consumption and increases in emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths tied to drinking. (1/14)
The Hill:
Americans Drink About 2.3 Gallons Of Alcohol A Year: Study
Consumption by the average American was just over 2 gallons per year at the time, according to the AP, which noted that the number of deaths per year (88,000) associated from excessive drinking actually ranks higher than the opioid crisis in terms of total deaths. “Consumption has been going up. Harms (from alcohol) have been going up,” Dr. Tim Naimi, an alcohol researcher at Boston University, told the AP in an interview. “And there’s not been a policy response to match it.” (Bowden, 1/14)
The Hill:
Lawmakers Express Alarm Over Rise In Cocaine Overdose Deaths
The bipartisan leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are raising alarm over an increase in overdose deaths from cocaine and methamphetamine. The lawmakers wrote to the Trump administration requesting a briefing on the fight against these drugs by Feb. 4. (Sullivan, 1/14)
