U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
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Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#2>The research shows that in 2017, alcohol proved to be even more deadly than illicit drugs, including opioids. That year there were about 70,000 drug overdose deaths — about 2,300 fewer than those involving alcohol,
>Only cigarettes are deadlier than alcohol: More than 480,000 people die each year in the U.S. because of smoking-related illnesses.
I didn't realise how much worse this is compared to the opioid epedemic .
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#3>The research shows that in 2017, alcohol proved to be even more deadly than illicit drugs, including opioids. That year there were about 70,000 drug overdose deaths — about 2,300 fewer than those involving alcohol, >Only cigarettes are deadlier than alcohol: More than 480,000 people die each year in the U.S. because of smoking-related illnesses. I didn't realise how much worse this is compared to the opioid epedemic…
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Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#4Opioid issues are easy PR, which is why they get the limelight. The perception is that only junkies abuse opioids, but lots of people drink alcohol; it's "normal", unlike opioids. As someone who doesn't drink, I've personally had a difficult time for not doing so (professionally, socially, etc.) because there's very much an expectation that everyone does. It's the typical "other guy is bad" strategy, and serves as a safe public issue for politicians to attack without pissing off parts of their constituency. Same reason we don't see any movement on the sky-rocketing rates of venereal disease: also regarded as normal, and discouraging the behaviors that lead to it won't get votes.
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#5My father died in July of 2015 from alcohol, at the very young age of 60. He drank daily, and then slowly stopped moving due to other health issues related to back pain. After refusing rehab and other options, he eventually died at his home one evening.
His drinking buddy was my step-mother, who followed an identical trajectory. Less than four years later, she died in the same spot of the house, in her late 50s.
The most difficult thing for my sister and myself was how powerless we were to do anything about it. Despite him committing slow suicide by alcohol, we were advised by lawyers that we had no legal recourse and would just end up burning money in a court battle we could not win.
My last ditch effort was an ultimatum, that if he didn't stop drinking, I would no longer talk to him, nor allow him to meet any kids my wife and I might have down the line. He agreed to stop drinking, but then gave up 72 hours later.
His grandson was born 7 weeks ago, but he never got to meet him. He would have only been 65.
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#6Opioid issues are easy PR, which is why they get the limelight. The perception is that only junkies abuse opioids, but lots of people drink alcohol; it's "normal", unlike opioids. As someone who doesn't drink, I've personally had a difficult time for not doing so (professionally, socially, etc.) because there's very much an expectation that everyone does. It's the typical "other guy is bad" strategy, and serves as a…
yep. not drinking is one of the best choices anyone could make.
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#7Alcohol is really weird. It's unquestionably a pretty hard drug and yet it's (ab)use is completely normalized in our culture. It's also a drug who's abuse regularly kills people other than those using it.
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#8>The research shows that in 2017, alcohol proved to be even more deadly than illicit drugs, including opioids. That year there were about 70,000 drug overdose deaths — about 2,300 fewer than those involving alcohol, >Only cigarettes are deadlier than alcohol: More than 480,000 people die each year in the U.S. because of smoking-related illnesses. I didn't realise how much worse this is compared to the opioid epedemic…
It seems to me that nicotine, alcohol, and opiods are all related. The addictive personality traits that make you susceptible to one make you susceptible to the others. At a fundamental level, the willingness to do long-term harm to oneself for short-term pleasure is fundamental to all these problems. There are also a ton of cultural factors that make the problems interrelated.
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#9Alcohol is really weird. It's unquestionably a pretty hard drug and yet it's (ab)use is completely normalized in our culture. It's also a drug who's abuse regularly kills people other than those using it.
> It's also a drug who's abuse regularly kills people other than those using it.
I don't think this is unique to alcohol. Nicotine and driving seems pretty okay, but I can't think of any other deadly drugs out there which wouldn't impair your driving.
EDIT: As other users have brought up, nicotine kills plenty of people other than those using it, in the form of second-hand smoke.
Re: U.S. alcohol-related deaths have doubled, study says
#10Opioid issues are easy PR, which is why they get the limelight. The perception is that only junkies abuse opioids, but lots of people drink alcohol; it's "normal", unlike opioids. As someone who doesn't drink, I've personally had a difficult time for not doing so (professionally, socially, etc.) because there's very much an expectation that everyone does. It's the typical "other guy is bad" strategy, and serves as a…
> I've personally had a difficult time for not doing so (professionally, socially, etc.)
It was the same for me for about 6 months, maybe a year. Then people stopped offering drinks or asking why I didn't drink and things felt normal again. I think part of it was not going in to how bad it is for you because people who drink already know.
I don't get uncomfortable without a drink, but if I feel like other people are anxious that I'm not drinking sometimes it helps to have an opaque cup with water (at home) or a mocktail (at a bar) so from across the room it looks like I have a drink.
I've found that most 30+ yrs old people that asked why I don't drink don't really like drinking either and feel like they won't have fun or enjoy the party as much or fit in if they don't drink, but that they don't like the bloating or hangover effects if they have more than a drink or two.