Deaths From Alcohol Use Disorder Increased Significantly During Pandemic

A new study finds deaths from alcohol use disorder rose significantly in the first two years of the pandemic, UPI reports.

Alcohol use disorder deaths were 25% higher than expected in 2020, and 22% higher than expected in 2021, according to researchers from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Deaths from alcohol use disorder had been increasing steadily during the eight years before the pandemic, they said.

The researchers found younger adults were especially affected by deaths from alcohol use disorder. Alcohol-related deaths among adults ages 25 to 44 were 41% higher than expected in 2020, and 34% higher than expected in 2021.

A study published earlier this year estimated the increase in alcohol consumption during the pandemic could lead to 8,000 additional alcohol-related deaths from liver disease by 2040. The increase in pandemic-related drinking also could lead to 18,700 additional cases of liver failure and 1,000 additional cases of liver cancer, the researchers found.