Alcohol-related death rates in Americans are Extremely High, Study Says

Deaths caused by alcohol have continued to increase in America, a new study reported.

According to the latest statistics, in 2014, there were 30,722 deaths caused by alcohol. The death rate was 9.6 per 100,000 people, which is 37 percent higher than the rate calculated in 2002. The federal officials added that the number of deaths is the highest in the past 35 years.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that the numbers did not include alcohol-related deaths caused by drunk driving as well as other accidents and homicides that occurred while the attacker was under the influence of alcohol. If these numbers were added on, the yearly toll of deaths due to alcohol would be around 90,000.

The experts noted that alcohol-related deaths varied greatly across the states, although they did not have an explanation as to why that was the case. They also did not pinpoint why more people were dying from alcohol-related causes but some experts pointed out that more people report drinking alcohol today than in the past.

"Since the prevalence of heavy drinking tends to follow closely with per capita consumption, it is likely that one explanation for the growth in alcohol-related deaths is that more people are drinking more," expert Philip J. Cook, a Duke University professor, wrote in an email to The Washington Post.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's numbers found that from 2002 to 2014, the percentage of adults who reported drinking alcohol on a monthly basis increased from 54.9 percent to 56.9 percent. Even though the spike was small, the researchers stated that it was still significant.

For more information, visit the CDC page here.