US Alcohol-Related Deaths Are Skyrocketing, New Data Shows

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2025

⏱️ 7 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alcohol-related deaths have nearly doubled in 25 years, claiming over 54,000 lives in 2021 alone
The steepest rise in alcohol-related deaths is seen among Native Americans, women, and young adults. Aggressive marketing, cultural shifts, and limited access to support make these groups especially vulnerable
The COVID-19 pandemic magnified this emergency. Isolation, stress, and disrupted recovery services fueled relapses and dangerous drinking patterns
Alcohol's long-term effects on the body are anything but benign. It damages your brain, destroys your liver, disrupts your ability to heal, and raises your risk of cancer
Cutting off alcohol completely is the most powerful step you can take for health. Eliminating it restores resilience, prevents premature death, and gives your body the chance to thrive again

Transcript

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0:00.0	Are you underestimating how much alcohol is stealing from your health, even if you only drink socially?
0:06.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go.
0:14.0	No reading required. Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights.
0:19.0	Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom.
0:22.8	I'm Ethan Foster.
0:24.3	Today, we're examining new data showing alcohol-related deaths in the U.S.
0:28.6	have surged, and what that means for your brain, liver, resilience, and long-term risk.
0:35.0	I'm a Lara Sky.
0:36.8	We'll walk you through who's being hit hardest,
0:39.1	how the pandemic accelerated dangerous patterns, and the actions you can take,
0:43.8	starting now to protect your health. We'll keep this focused, practical,
0:49.4	and entirely based on the evidence discussed in the featured analysis.
0:53.4	Over a 25-year span, alcohol-related
0:56.9	deaths rose by 89%. The rate climbed from 7.0 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 13.2 by
1:07.2	2024, with more than 54,000 deaths in 2021 alone.
1:14.2	The sharpest increases began in early 2020 as daily life and access to care were disrupted.
1:21.6	Researchers note that for most demographics, rates stayed abnormally high even through
1:26.6	2023. That's a persistent elevation,
1:30.1	not a brief spike. The burden is not evenly distributed. American Indian and Alaska native
1:35.8	communities have shouldered the highest mortality, with some counties reporting crude rates
1:40.6	over 80 deaths per 100,000 annually since 2020.
1:45.0	Women and young adults are also experiencing rapid increases.
	...

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