Contribution of Excessive Alcohol Consumption to Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost in the United States

Abstract

IntroductionExcessive 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.MethodsWe 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.ResultsFrom 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.ConclusionsExcessive drinking was responsible 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.

Sex Differences in Health and Survival

“…Levels of alcohol consumption are more heterogeneous across countries (La Vecchia et al 2014). The contribution of alcohol consumption to mortality is between 3 and 8% in EU countries (Rehm et al 2009), and is up to 10% at working ages in the United States (Stahre et al 2014).…”

“…Across all western countries, more men than women consume tobacco and alcohol (Costanza et al 2006;Robinson and Harris 2011), and the consumption of these substances has greater effects on health and survival among men than among women at the aggregated level (Mucha et al 2006;Stahre et al 2014). Men have been shown to have a greater propensity than women to engage in risky behaviors, and the link between risky behaviors and the social concept of masculinity appears to underlie the sex differences in the consumption of both alcohol and tobacco.…”

The Progression of Neurofeedback: An Evolving Paradigm in Addiction Treatment and Relapse Prevention

“…5,6 Approximately one in ten deaths among working adults in the United States is caused by alcohol abuse. 5 The health care expenses, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs related to substance abuse are estimated to cost the federal government $442 billion dollars each year. 7,8 In response to this public health crisis, the U.S.…”

“…4 Alcohol misuse, which contributes to 88,000 deaths per year in the United States, was found to be the nation's fourth leading preventable cause of death. 5,6 Approximately one in ten deaths among working adults in the United States is caused by alcohol abuse. 5 The health care expenses, lost productivity, and criminal justice costs related to substance abuse are estimated to cost the federal government $442 billion dollars each year.…”

Capsule Commentary on Williams et al., Factors Underlying Quality Problems with Alcohol Screening Prompted by a Clinical Reminder in Primary Care: A Multisite Qualitative Study

“…1 One response to contain alcohol-related consequences is to implement populationbased screening using a validated instrument of adults. 2 In order to ensure the same accuracy of the screening instrument, it must be used exactly as studied; for example, if done verbally, the language should be verbatim.…”