Largest increase seen in women aged 25 to 34 years<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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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<\/em>.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n “The rapid rise of alcohol-induced deaths among women is particularly concerning,” senior author Maria R. D\u2019Orsogna, 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.”<\/p>\n