Largest increase seen in women aged 25 to 34 years
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Rates of alcohol-induced deaths among U.S. adults nearly doubled from 1999 to 2024, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in PLOS Global Public Health.
Tony Wong, Ph.D., from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and colleagues used data from the National Vital Statistics System to analyze alcohol-induced deaths by race, gender, age, and geography on a yearly (1999 to 2024) and monthly (2018 to 2024) basis.
The researchers found that crude rates for alcohol-induced deaths increased by 89 percent from 1999 to 2024, with the largest relative increase occurring among people aged 25 to 34 years (women, 255 percent; men, 188 percent). The most affected were American Indian and Alaska Native populations. While men had a higher number of alcohol-induced deaths, crude rates increased faster among women across all demographics. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there were sharp increases that peaked in 2021, although for most demographics crude rates remained abnormally high throughout 2023. Significant decreases emerged in 2024. Alcohol-related liver disease impacted women more than men, while alcohol-related mental and behavioral disorders affected both genders.
“The rapid rise of alcohol-induced deaths among women is particularly concerning,” senior author Maria R. D’Orsogna, Ph.D., also from UCLA, said in a statement. “Although men still die at higher rates, the gender gap appears to be closing. Notably, for the population aged 25 to 34, the male-to-female mortality ratio has decreased from three-to-one in 1999 to two-to-one in 2024.”
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