In 2022, around 300 Americans died from opioids every single day.

We rightly labeled that a crisis, and communities all over the country mobilized public health and social

work and law enforcement strategies to protect people. By last year, the daily average for deaths

had dropped to under 150. Still way too many lives lost, but real progress. So it is sort of strange

that another recreational drug linked to nearly 500 deaths a day,

even now, is not only not treated like any kind of emergency, it is available nearly everywhere,

even given out to guests at state dinners.

From KERA in Dallas, this is think.

I'm Chris Boyd.

That drug, of course, is alcohol. And although many,

many people are able to consume it responsibly, alcohol is insidious in that while it is clearly a

problem for the health of people who habitually drink too much, it's also associated with violence

and accidents that harm those who may not drink at all.

So what will it take to stop thinking about alcohol as less harmful than other drugs because it is so much more familiar?

Isabella Queto is a chronic disease reporter, together with co-author Lev Fasher.

She is the author of the reporting series The Deadliest Drug, which you can read on stat.

Isabella, welcome to think.

Thanks for having me.

It is pretty stunning to compare the number

of annual fatalities associated with opioids

to the number linked to alcohol.

Why do you think we don't think about alcohol

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