Alcohol Related Deaths

In the United States alone, there are roughly 261 alcohol-related deaths everyday.

Key Findings

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Drunk Driving Fatalities

Nationwide, drunk driving fatalities have been on the decline since 1991. In 2019 drunk driving fatalities reached their lowest point since the Department of Transportation began record keeping in 1982.

• 10,511 deaths were attributable to drunk driving.
• Roughly 28 to 30 people lose their lives every day in an accident involving drunk driving.
• This translates to roughly 1 person every 52 minutes.
• 28% of all overall driving fatalities is attributable to drunk driving.
• 980 people who died due to drunk driving were under the age of 21.
• 70% of drunk driving fatalities involved a driver with a blood alcohol content over over 0.15+.

Alcohol Related Homicides

Alcohol is the number 1 substance tied in with homicides. Alcoholic homicides generally occur due to negligence, or sustained aggravated assault resulting in murder.

• 7,334 homicides have alcohol as a contributing factor annually.
• 48% of homicide convicts were under the influence of alcohol when they committed murder.
• Nearly 40% of homicide victims were drinking before they died.

Health Failure Deaths due to Long-term Excessive Alcohol Consumption

The vast majority of those who pass away from the long-term effects of excessive alcohol consumption pass away due to alcoholic liver disease. In nearly all categories, alcohol causes health failure most prominently via the liver. Heart disease and stroke make up the second leading cause of health failure deaths due to alcoholic consumption. The bullet points below highlight the number of deaths that are 100% attributable to alcoholic consumption.

• 47,500 deaths annually are attributable to the long term health consequences of drinking too much over time.
• 18,164 people pass away annually due to alcoholic liver disease.
• 3,584 people pass away annually due to hypertension brought on by excessive alcohol consumption.
• 4,258 people die from alcohol dependence syndrome annually.
• 2,591 people die from alcohol abuse annually.
• Meanwhile, 703 people pass away annually from alcoholic psychosis.
• Meanwhile, 510 people pass away annually from alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
• 330 people die annually due to alcohol-induced pancreatitis.
• 145 people die annually due degeneration of their nervous system from drinking alcohol.
• The table below highlights the number of deaths that are partially attributable to alcoholic consumption.

Death due to Alcohol Poisoning

Alcohol poisoning occurs when very high levels of alcohol in the body shut down the areas in the brain that control key critical areas such as breathing or heart rate. Deaths due to alcohol poisoning are most common in middle aged men.

• 2,200 people die from alcohol poisoning annually.
• 6 people die daily due to alcohol poisoning.
• 76% of those who die from alcohol poisoning are men.
• 76% of those who die from alcohol poisoning are between the ages of 35 and 64.
• Whites are the race with the most deaths due to alcohol poisoning.
• 68% of those who die from alcoholic poisoning are White.
• Alaska has the most deaths due to alcohol poisoning per million people.
• Alabama has the least amount of deaths due to alcohol poisoning per million people.
• 30% of deaths due to alcohol poisoning can be attributed to alcohol dependence/alcoholism.

Miscellaneous Death Rates due to Alcoholic Consumption

More than half of all deaths attributed to alcohol are due to deteriorating health effects from drinking too much over time. This includes cancer, liver, and heart disease. Men also make up the bulk of alcohol-related deaths annually.

• 95,000 Americans die from alcohol-related causes annually; 68,000 of them are men.
• 27,000 of them are women.
• 47,500 deaths are attributable to the long term health consequences of drinking too much over time.
• 80% of alcohol-related deaths involved adults aged 35 or older.
• 22.1% of prescription opioid overdose deaths were related to alcohol consumption.
• 9,937 committed suicide annually while consuming alcohol beforehand.
• 1,043 Americans die annually from drowning while under the influence of alcohol.
• 2,015 Americans die annually from fall injuries while under the influence of alcohol.
• Meanwhile, 129 people pass away annually due to firearm injuries while drinking.
• Meanwhile, 296 people pass away annually from Hypothermia while drinking.
• 126 people are killed annually from occupational and machine injuries when alcohol is involved.

Alcohol Related Deaths by State

In 2019, 30 states had alcohol-related death rates in the double digits compared to 2006 when only 10 states had alcohol-related deaths in the double digits. The highest death rates tend to be found in the western part of the United States.

• New Mexico has the highest death rate at 34.3 deaths per 100,000 people.
• Hawaii has the lowest death rate at 5.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
• Indiana shares the same death rate as the overall national average: 10.4.

Alcohol Related Deaths by Race

American Indians/ Alaskan Natives have the highest rates of alcohol related deaths. White/Caucasians had the 2nd highest rate. The death rate for all races has jumped in the interim between 2006 and 2019.

• For American Indians/ Alaskan Natives the death rate in 2006 was 30.8 deaths per 100,000 people – in 2019 it was 50.5.
• White people had a death rate of 6.9 persons in 2006, then in 2019 it was 11.1 deaths per 100,000 people.
• Between 2006 and 2019 the death rate for the Hispanic community increased from 9.2 to 10.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
• The death rate for the Black community in 2006 was 6.2 people per 100,000 persons, in 2019 it was 7.5 people per 100,000.
• For Asians and Pacific Islanders the death rate in 2006 was 1.9 deaths per 100,000 people, by 2019 it was 2.4 deaths per 100,000 people.

Alcohol Related Deaths by Age

Since 2006 the death rate for all ages due to alcohol has increased except in young adults aged 18 to 24. Adults aged 55 to 64 held the highest rate of deaths related to alcohol. Young adults aged 18 to 24 had the lowest rates of death out of the overall U.S. population.

• Adults aged 55 to 64 passed away at a rate of 19.2 persons per 100,000 people in 2006, by 2019 this rate jumped to 32.5 people.
• Among young adults aged 18 to 24 years old, their death rate in 2006 was 0.4 per 100,000 people and in 2019 it was 0.5 per 100,000 people.
• The rate of death increases after young adulthood at age 24 and steadily declines in the senior years past the age of 64.

Urbanization and Alcohol Related Deaths

Since 2006 the rate of death among alcohol related incidents has increased among all levels of urbanization. The increase is more pronounced in non-metropolitan areas than any other. Small/medium sized metropolitan areas also saw a significant rise in alcohol-related deaths from 2006 to 2019. Large metropolitan areas saw the fewest deaths and the smallest increase in the death rate between the 14 years.

• The death rate for large metropolitan areas at 9.2 deaths per 100,000 people is below the national average of 10.4.
• The death rate for small/medium metro areas and non metro areas is larger than the national average of 10.4.
• The trend was similar back in 2006 as well; large metro areas had a death rate under the national average compared to small/medium metro and non-metro areas who were both above the national average.

Sources

1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIH): Alcohol Facts and Statistics
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Deaths from Excessive Alcohol Use in the United States
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Alcohol Poisoning Deaths
4. (CDC): Alcohol and Public Health – Alcohol Related Disease Impact (ARDI) 
5. Alcohol Rehab Guide: Alcohol-related Death
6. State Health Access Data Assistance Center (shadac): U.S. Alcohol-Related Deaths Grew Nearly 50% in Two Decades – SHADAC Briefs Examine the Numbers among Subgroups and States
7. Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): Alcohol consumption is the sole cause of 85,000 deaths annually in the Americas, PAHO/WHO study finds
8. Responsibility.org: National Drunk Driving Statistics Map
9. United States Department of Transportation – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): Drunk Driving