Alcohol & Health Risks

Too much?

Excessive alcohol use, including underage drinking and binge drinking, can lead to increased risk of health problems such as injuries, violence, liver disease and cancer.

Study of Alcohol-related Deaths Among US Adults

In a 2014 study of alcohol dependence among U.S. adult drinkers, CDC researchers found that from 2006 through 2010, excessive alcohol consumption accounted for nearly 1 in 10 deaths among working-age U.S. adults 20 – 64. The study, published in CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease, also revealed that excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000 deaths and 2.5 million years of potential life lost each year during this period, shortening the lives of those who died by an average of 30 years.

These deaths were due to health effects from drinking too much over time, such as breast cancer, liver disease, and heart disease, and health effects from consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time such as violence, alcohol poisoning, and motor vehicle crashes.

Study of Alcohol Dependence among US Adults

In another study published in CDC’s Preventing Chronic Disease, researchers found that 9 in 10 people who drink excessively are not alcohol dependent.