Report Finds Increase in Deaths From Excessive Alcohol Among American Women

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that although all deaths from excessive alcohol use have increased in recent years, women’s deaths from drinking are outpacing men’s deaths from drinking.

From 2016 to 2021, deaths that were at least partially contributed to alcohol use in the United States increased by 29 percent. When broken down by sex, men’s alcohol related deaths increased by 27 percent and women’s deaths increased by 35 percent.

The CDC reports that a particular increase in alcohol deaths was shown from 2019 to 2020, which aligns with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During 2018 to 2019, women’s alcohol deaths were roughly 23.6 per 100,000 population. In 2020 to 2021, this increased to 29.4 deaths per 100,000 Americans.

The report’s authors state these findings implicate the need for state and community intervention to discourage excessive alcohol use. This could include electronic screenings during health care settings, media communications campaigns, reducing the number of places selling alcohol, and increasing alcohol taxes.