By Tom Horvath, PhD
Did you realize that alcohol deaths (178,000 per year) exceed the deaths associated with all other recreational drugs combined? And that alcohol deaths exceed deaths associated with all infectious disease?
A series of articles, “The Deadliest Drug,” by reporter Isabella Cueto at www.Statnews.com, considers the negative impact of alcohol during pregnancy (1 in 8 pregnant women drink), the substantial increase in American liver disease even in younger individuals (partly attributable to the American diet, obesity, and Type 2 diabetes), and other powerful findings about drinking’s negative public health impact.
I became aware of her work via a 5-minute interview with her on NPR (aired 5/19/26):
https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2026/05/19/alcoholism-americans
Other facts worth repeating are that alcohol costs the US about $250 billion per year, with nearly half of that expense being paid for by taxpayers, that ER visits for alcohol have doubled in the last two decades, especially since 2020, and that despite the importance of identifying and addressing alcohol problems, that subject is often overlooked or glossed over at the doctor’s office.
On this last point, evidence suggests that in doctor’s offices screening for alcohol problems is inconsistent, if screening questions are asked there may be no follow-up counseling for positive responses, and if there is brief counseling there is often no follow-up for treatment or alcohol medications. In one study 30% of those with a diagnosable alcohol use disorder were not asked about their drinking.
The series of articles suggests that these problems are not inevitable. As with tobacco, which has seen a dramatic reduction in prevalence, we have the options of creating alcohol reduction campaigns, increasing taxes, limiting marketing, collecting better data, and becoming more conscientious about screening and follow up. In a society that in many ways is becoming more health conscious, these actions would likely be well received by many. Of course, just as big tobacco pushed back, we can also expect pushback from big alcohol. Nevertheless, with these kinds of statistics about the negative health effects of overdrinking, the times may be suitable for bigger steps toward alcohol health.
Alcohol is deeply rooted in human life. It is one of the oldest recreational substances, and the oldest one we produce ourselves. Changing our relationship with it will be substantial work (as many of us know). But not changing that relationship may be deadly.
https://www.statnews.com/staff/isabella-cueto/
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