New federal data shows the rate of alcohol deaths among Americans are at a 35-year high.
Causes do not include homicides, drunken driving or other incidents "indirectly related" to alcohol use, yet the numbers are still staggering.
In 2014, there were 9.6 deaths from these alcohol-induced causes per 100,000 people, an increase of 37 percent since 2002.
- Christopher Ingraham, Washington Post
You can compare this to deaths from heroin and painkillers, which account for fewer deaths combined than deaths from alcohol.
In 2014, a total of 30,722 died from alcohol-induced causes, and experts say it may be partly due to a general increase in per-capita consumption.
DRINKS IN A WEEK
- The bottom 30% don't drink at all
- The next 30% have fewer than two drinks per week
- The top 10% consume more than 70 drinks each week
(per "Paying the Tab" by Philip Cook)
Despite the damaging effects of over-consumption, studies show that a moderate amount of drinking can actually benefit your health. Moderate use is considered around one or two drinks per day.
See more statistics read further into the issue here
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