geoff: One of the most commonly
used drugs in the U.S. Is also
the deadliest, alcohol.
Over the last 20 years, more and
more Americans have died from
alcohol-related causes.
And a new study reveals those
deaths have surged recently.
William brangham takes a closer
look.
William: The CDC issued this new
report, and it looks at both
deaths directly tied to alcohol
like cirrhosis of the liver as
well as indirect death, like
certain injuries and kinds of
cancers.
It found that in just five
years, alcohol-related deaths
rose by 29%.
By 2021, alcohol contributed to
the deaths of more than 178,000
Americans that year.
That's about 500 people a day,
lost, because of consuming wine,
beer or other alcohol.
For a broader look at these
findings we're joined again by
Keith Humphreys, he's a
professor of psychiatry and
behavioral sciences at Stanford
university.
Very good to have you back on
the newshour.
Were you surprised?
This was your field of study.
Were you surprised by how much
these numbers had ticked
upwards?
Keith: Sadly I am not.
We noticed during the pandemic
that certain groups were
increasing their drinking,
including drinking alone and in
large amounts, and also there
has been a long-term trend,
alcohol is very cheap in the
United States in historical
terms, and when it is cheap
Americans tend to drink more.
That is where you get these
tragic numbers.
William: Are those the principal
drivers, low price and all the
stresses associated with the
pandemic?
Keith: Those two things are
articled to producing this kind
of increase.
Federal alcohol taxes were last
increased in 1991.
They have been declining in real
terms ever since.
Alcohol taxes on craft beer and
spirits were cut before the
pandemic.
That has historically driven
more consumption.
Alcohol is a legal product and
therefore one that is heavily
advertised.
We know the promotion of
alcohol, which anyone who has
watched a football game is aware
of, helps keep the business
flowing and keeps people
drinking, unfortunately
sometimes too much.
William: You and I talkd many
times over the years, but we are
always talking about illegal
drugs and policies to address
those, never about alcohol.
Is that as orwell says, the
struggle is constantly to see
the thing in front of us?
Keith: It is a huge blind spot
in American drug policy.
You can talk about drugs for
hours and people will mention
fentanyl and meth and cocaine,
and they do a lot of harm, but
no one will bring up alcohol.
At the end afterwards they may
get a drink together.
That is what the risk of alcohol
comes from, those who use it
don't of themselves as using a
drug and therefore they don't
worry about it as much as they
should.
William: One of the things, back
into the CDC's data, while more
men died of alcohol-related
deaths, the death rate increased
for women quite dramatically.
Why do you think that is?
Keith: Very tragic to see this
increase among women debt, and
it is -- deaths, and it is
enraging to know where it comes
from.
25 years ago the alcohol
industry realized women were
getting more disposable income
but were nondrinking as much.
They released female focused
advertising, creating mommy wine
culture.
It worked broadly speaking.
We saw an increase in women
stricking, -- in women's
drinking.
Biologically the same amount of
alcohol in general is more
damaging to women than men,
partly for reasons of
metabolism, partly of reasons
for body size.
We are seeing the awful outcome
of a 25 year campaign to get
women to drink more heavily.
William: In terms of solutions,
what works on a policy level?
You touched on some of these
things, price being one of them,
but what can we do as a society
to ameliorate these ills?
Keith: Sometimes the simple
answer is the right one.
People use less when it is more
expensive.
Raising alcohol taxes for
inflation would reduce people's
drinking.
We have good demonstrations in
states that have done it.
William: What about individuals,
if someone personally feels like
I am concerned about this, what
do we know works?
Keith: One thing I can say with
optimism for anyone struggling
with a drinking problem is there
is about 24 million Americans
who had a serious problem with
alcohol and other drugs and are
in recovery.
Recovery is a realistic
aspiration.
It happens every day.
There is no one right pathway to
it.
There are people who benefit
from alcoholics anonymous.
There are people who benefit
from treatment, counseling, from
medications.
There are also people who are
able to change without any of
those things, usually with some
reorientation in their life like
engaging with people who do not
drink.
So there is every reason to
believe that you can recover,
and there is no reason to feel
ashamed if you have a drinking
problem.
It is something millions will go
through.
William: Keith, always so
interesting to talk with you.
Thank you very much.
Keith: Thank you.