Mason Delacroix
Alcohol is a leading cause of preventable deaths in the US, with about 178,000 people dying from excessive drinking each year. The number of alcohol-related deaths has been rising over the past two decades, with liver disease deaths doubling over 20 years, and alcohol-linked cancer deaths doubling since the 1990s. The COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to the surge in alcohol-related deaths, with mortality rates increasing by an average of 9% from 2018 to 2022. This rise has been attributed to pandemic-related stressors such as financial insecurity and social isolation, which have led to increased drinking. While alcohol-related deaths affect all age groups, men, people from deprived areas, and those aged 50 to 69 are the most vulnerable.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Alcohol is classified as | A carcinogen |
| Number of cancers linked to alcohol | 7 |
| Types of cancers linked to alcohol | Pancreatic, breast, colorectum, esophagus, voice box, liver, mouth, throat |
| Number of Americans affected by pancreatic cancer annually | 75,000 |
| Increase in risk of pancreatic cancer for women consuming 15-30 grams of alcohol per day | 12% |
| Increase in risk of pancreatic cancer for men consuming 30-60 grams of alcohol per day | 15% |
| Increase in risk of pancreatic cancer for men consuming over 60 grams of alcohol per day | 36% |
| Alcohol consumption in any amount | Bad for health |
| Alcohol turned into by the body | Acetaldehyde, a substance that can damage DNA |
| Number of cancers linked to alcohol in the American Cancer Society study | 5% of new diagnoses in men, 6% in women |
| Type of cancer with the greatest number of diagnoses attributed to alcohol consumption | Breast cancer, with over 44,000 cases in the US in 2019 |
| Recommendation by the American Cancer Society for alcohol consumption | One drink per day for women, two drinks per day for men |
| Risk of developing any kind of cancer from drinking white wine | Higher for women than men |
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What You'll Learn
Alcohol-related deaths in England
Alcohol is the biggest risk factor for death among 15-49-year-olds in the UK, and the fifth biggest risk factor across all ages. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that harmful alcohol use results in 3.3 million deaths annually, representing 5.9% of all deaths worldwide. Alcohol is a causal factor in over 200 diseases and injuries, including seven types of cancer.
In England, alcohol-related deaths have been on an upward trajectory. In 2021, there were 20,970 alcohol-related deaths, equating to a rate of 38.5 per 100,000 people. The North East region had the highest mortality rate at 50.4 per 100,000 people, while the East of England had the lowest at 32.3 per 100,000. The North East has maintained the highest rate for eight consecutive years.
The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated drinking patterns, with a notable increase in alcohol consumption among individuals who were already drinking at higher levels. This resulted in a sharp rise in alcohol-specific deaths, with alcoholic liver disease being the leading cause. In 2023, there were 7,922 deaths due to alcoholic liver disease in the UK, constituting 75.6% of all alcohol-specific deaths.
The impact of alcohol-related harm is not evenly distributed across society. People in the most deprived areas of England are more than three times more likely to die solely due to alcohol compared to those in the least deprived areas. In 2025, male alcohol-specific deaths in England were four times higher in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived. This disparity underscores the intersection of socioeconomic factors and alcohol-related harm.
In 2025, there were 8,276 alcohol-specific deaths in England, translating to a rate of 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people. This figure represents a 4.2% increase from 2022 and a significant 38.4% surge since the pre-pandemic year of 2019. The overall trend highlights a concerning rise in alcohol-related mortality in England, necessitating urgent attention and effective preventive measures.
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Alcohol-related deaths in London
Alcohol is a causal factor associated with over 200 medical conditions and is the leading risk factor for death among 15-49-year-olds in the United Kingdom. Alcohol-related deaths in London are a cause for concern, with the city experiencing a significant number of fatalities attributed to excessive alcohol consumption.
In 2021, London had an age-standardised rate of 10.2 alcohol-specific deaths per 100,000 people, which was the lowest in England. This rate was significantly lower than that of the North East, which had 20.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Despite having the lowest rate in the country, London consistently exhibits a more significant disparity between male and female alcohol-specific death rates than any other region. In 2021, the male rate in London was 14.8 deaths per 100,000, more than double the female rate of 5.8 deaths per 100,000.
The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted drinking patterns, with heavier drinkers consuming more and moderate drinkers reducing their intake or quitting. This shift in consumption patterns resulted in a sharp rise in alcohol-specific deaths across the UK, with London experiencing its fair share of these tragic consequences. The surge in problematic drinking during the pandemic resulted in a record high of alcohol-related deaths in the UK, with 10,473 people dying in 2023 due to excessive alcohol consumption.
London's alcohol-related mortality rates are influenced by various factors, including gender and socioeconomic disparities. Men are more than twice as likely as women to die from alcohol-related causes, and this trend is evident in London's statistics. Additionally, people in the most deprived areas of England are more than three times more likely to die solely from alcohol-related causes than those in the least deprived areas. This disparity is evident in London, where areas of high deprivation experience higher alcohol-related death rates.
To address the issue of alcohol-related deaths in London, public health initiatives, and harm reduction strategies are imperative. Implementing measures such as minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol and prioritising public health in the NHS 10-year plan can help tackle the surge in problematic alcohol consumption. Additionally, increasing public awareness about the link between alcohol and various types of cancer, as well as other health issues, can empower individuals to make informed choices and seek help if needed.
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Alcohol-related deaths in Colorado
Alcohol-related deaths have been surging in Colorado, with the state having one of the highest rates in the country. In 2020, the state witnessed a significant increase in alcohol-induced fatalities, and this trend has continued, with alarming rates reported in 2024. According to Kaiser Family Foundation data, alcohol-induced deaths more than doubled from 2009 to 2021, with Colorado's rate standing at 26.5 deaths per 100,000 people, the sixth-highest in the nation.
The Denver Post, in a four-part series titled "Colorado's Quiet Killer," brought attention to the issue, highlighting that alcohol-related deaths in the state often go overlooked compared to the focus on the opioid epidemic. The series revealed that the death toll from alcohol is significant, with the odds of an average drinker dying from alcohol-related causes being much lower than that of an average illicit drug user. However, due to the high number of drinkers, the overall toll becomes substantial.
While many assume alcohol-related deaths primarily result from accidents or acute intoxication, the reality is that long-term conditions are a more significant contributor. Liver disease, certain types of cancer, heart conditions, and deaths by suicide where individuals were intoxicated are among the leading causes of alcohol-related fatalities. Additionally, alcohol is the number one substance tied to homicides, with nearly 40% of victims having consumed alcohol before their deaths.
The high rate of alcohol-related deaths in Colorado has been attributed to various factors, including social acceptance of drinking, ineffective warnings about the risks, limited spending on prevention programs, and barriers to accessing treatment. Experts recommend increasing alcohol taxes to generate revenue for programs addressing unhealthy drinking and enforcing liquor laws. Additionally, addressing the availability of alcohol by cutting back on when and where people can purchase it may help reduce drinking-related deaths in the state.
While the focus has been on combating the opioid crisis, alcohol remains one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States, claiming the lives of 95,000 Americans annually, with 68,000 of them being men. Colorado's alcohol-related death rate is a pressing issue that requires attention and targeted interventions to reduce the devastating impact on its residents.
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Alcohol-related deaths and liver disease
Alcohol misuse is now one of the most common causes of death in the UK, alongside smoking and high blood pressure. Alcohol-induced deaths have generally increased from 2000 to 2020, with the largest annual increase occurring between 2019 and 2020. The age-adjusted rate of alcohol-induced deaths rose by 26% from 2019 (10.4 per 100,000) to 2020 (13.1 per 100,000).
Alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) is liver damage caused by excess alcohol intake. ARLD is common in the UK, and the number of people with the condition has increased over the last few decades. The liver is very resilient and capable of regenerating itself, but prolonged alcohol misuse over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate, resulting in serious and permanent liver damage.
Fatty liver disease, caused by chronic and excessive alcohol intake, is reversible if one stops drinking alcohol for an extended period. However, severe alcoholic hepatitis, a serious condition caused by alcohol misuse over a long period, is life-threatening, and many people in the UK die from it each year. Alcoholic hepatitis can also occur from binge drinking over a shorter period.
In the United States, researchers observed a more than threefold increase in deaths from alcoholic cirrhosis, the irreversible phase of alcoholic liver disease, between 1999 and 2019. The largest increase was seven-fold in the 24-35 age group, and the steepest increase was among those aged 65-74. Similarly, a study examining liver-related illnesses in young people in the US found that mortality in this demographic rose the fastest.
According to a modelling study, under the current high-risk drinking rates (status quo scenario), annualised age-standardised deaths due to alcohol-related liver disease are projected to increase from 8.23 per 100,000 person-years in 2019 to 15.20 per 100,000 person-years in 2040, an 84% increase. From 2019 to 2040, 1,003,400 individuals are projected to die from alcohol-related liver disease in the USA, with 35% of deaths occurring in individuals younger than 55 years old.
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Alcohol-related deaths and socioeconomic status
Alcohol consumption is responsible for approximately 5.9% of deaths worldwide, which equates to 2.6 million deaths in 2019. Alcohol-related deaths have been rising in recent years, with the COVID-19 pandemic and associated stressors such as financial insecurity and social isolation believed to be contributing factors. The highest levels of alcohol-related deaths per 100,000 persons are observed in the WHO European and African Regions, with 52.9 and 52.2 deaths, respectively.
Socioeconomic status (SES) is a significant factor influencing a person's alcohol use and related outcomes. Individuals with low SES have a two- to five-fold higher risk of dying from alcohol-attributable causes compared to those with high SES. This disparity in alcohol-attributable mortality between low and high SES groups is substantial, even when considering all-cause mortality. Interestingly, individuals with low SES tend to have a similar or lower prevalence of alcohol consumption compared to those with high SES. This suggests that the negative consequences of alcohol use may be more pronounced for those with lower socioeconomic status.
The reasons for the exacerbated socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol-attributable harm are not yet fully understood. However, it is known that the quantity and frequency of alcohol use, resulting negative consequences, and the risk of alcohol use disorders are influenced by various factors. These factors include historical time, geopolitical context, community context, family and peer influences, biological predisposition, psychological factors, and sociodemographic features such as gender, age, race, ethnicity, culture, and SES.
To address socioeconomic inequalities in mortality related to alcohol consumption, public health strategies should focus on reducing heavy episodic drinking rather than general alcohol use. Furthermore, effective alcohol control interventions exist and should be utilized more widely, alongside individual actions to protect against the harmful effects of alcohol. The Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 aims to reduce the harmful use of alcohol through evidence-based strategies at various levels, including advocacy, awareness, partnership, coordination, and technical support.
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Frequently asked questions
About 178,000 people die from excessive drinking each year in the US. Two-thirds of these deaths are from chronic conditions, such as liver disease, heart disease, and cancer, which develop from drinking alcohol over time. The remaining one-third of alcohol-related deaths are from binge drinking or drinking too much on one occasion, which can lead to accidents, alcohol poisonings, and drug overdoses.
Alcohol-related deaths in the US have been rising over the past two decades. Liver disease deaths have doubled over the course of 20 years, with a significant acceleration during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Cancer deaths tied to alcohol have also doubled in the US over the past three decades, with liver cancer being the most common type of alcohol-related cancer.
Various factors contribute to the increase in alcohol-related deaths. These include increased stress, loneliness, and social isolation during the pandemic, which led to more people drinking. The availability of alcohol and the expansion of options for carry-out and home delivery have also played a role. Additionally, challenges in accessing healthcare and reduced treatment-seeking during the pandemic may have contributed to the rise in alcohol-related deaths.
