The needle and the damage done: Deaths of despair, economic precarity, and the white working-class.

Economic insecurity has grown in the United States since the 1970s impacting all segments of the working-class, including previously insulated sub-groups such as non-Hispanic whites. Moreover, the white working-class has experienced a surge in socio-cultural isolation, and disengagement with societal institutions. This analysis focuses on the health consequences of these developments, with a particular emphasis on the rising "deaths of despair" (suicide, drug poisoning, alcohol related). These deaths have been increasing since the mid-1990s and, at least until recently, tended to be clustered amongst whites without a four-year college degree. Various competing explanations have been put forth, emphasizing distinct factors such as material conditions, socio-cultural dynamics, and accessibility to opioids. Using a series of linear models this analysis examines the county-level association between economic precarity, white working-class population size, opioid accessibility, and deaths of despair. Results affirm the net effect of each predictor and illuminate an interactive relationship between opioid accessibility and precarity, as well as an interactive relationship between all three predictors. By undertaking an interdisciplinary synthesis of existing research, this study contributes to the understanding of the social determinants of mortality while providing crucial insights into an ongoing crisis in contemporary America.

Deaths of Despair and Population Aging in Missouri.

Recent declines in life expectancy in the US, especially for middle-aged White persons, have called attention to mortality from deaths of despair - deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Census Bureau, this paper examined deaths of despair by race/ethnicity, age, cause of death, birth cohort, and sex in Missouri. We focused on Area Agencies on Aging as geographic units of interest to increase usefulness of our findings to public administrators. Deaths of despair began trending up for all age groups beginning in 2007-2009, with the sharpest increases occurring for Black or African American non-Hispanics beginning in 2013-2015. The most dramatic increases occurred for the population age 50-59 in St. Louis City and Area Agency on Aging regions in southern Missouri. For older adults, considerable variation in rates, trends, and cause of deaths of despair is evident across the state.

Tasa de mortalidad por síndrome de dependencia del alcohol 2016-2020 en Chile / Alcohol use disorder-related mortality rate 2016-2020 in Chile

Introducción: El consumo de alcohol es un problema a nivel mundial. En Chile es la droga más consumida, y en cantidades mayores que otros países de la región. Debido a la alta prevalencia y la gran cantidad de complicaciones asociadas, se describió la tasa de mortalidad por síndrome de dependencia del alcohol (SDA) entre los años 2016-2020 en Chile. Materiales y métodos: Estudio observacional, ecológico y descriptivo. La población correspondió a todos los fallecidos por SDA como causa básica en Chile entre 2016-2020 utilizando fuente Departamento de Estadísticas e Información de Salud. Se calculó la tasa de mortalidad según sexo, grupo etario y región con un total de 710 personas. Resultados: Durante el período 2016-2020 se observó un aumento de la tasa de mortalidad principalmente en 2020. Respecto al sexo, predominó la tasa de mortalidad en hombres. El grupo etario con mayor tasa de mortalidad fue el de 65-79. El promedio más alto de la tasa de mortalidad entre los años 2016 y 2020 es el de la región de Los Lagos (2,09) y una desviación estándar de (1,05). Discusión: Resulta interesante que la tasa de mortalidad promedio atribuible al alcohol es menor en Chile y Estados Unidos que en otros países de América. Tanto en Chile como en Argentina y Cuba la tasa de mortalidad es mayor en hombres, sin embargo, en relación al rango etario, el predominio de las tasas varía en la región.

Introduction: Alcohol consumption is a worldwide problem that has been steadily increasing. Chile is among the countries with the highest alcohol consumption per capita in Latin America. Due to the high prevalence and the large number of associated complications, we described the mortality rate due to alcohol dependence syndrome (ADS) between the years 2016-2020 in Chile. Material y methods: Observational, ecological and descriptive study. The population corresponded to all deaths due to ADS as a basic cause in Chile between 2016-2020 using source Department of Health Statistics and Information. The mortality rate was calculated according to sex, age group and region with a total of 710 people. Results: During the period 2016-2020, an increase in the mortality rate was observed mainly in 2020. Regarding sex, the mortality rate was predominantly in men. The age group with the highest mortality rate was 65-79. The highest average mortality rate between 2016 and 2020 is that of the Los Lagos region (2,09) and a standard deviation of (1,05). Discussion: Interestingly, the average alcohol-attributable mortality rate is lower in Chile and the United States than in other countries in the Americas. In Chile as well as in Argentina and Cuba, the mortality rate is higher in men, however in relation to age range, the predominance of rates varies across the region.

Circulating high density lipoprotein distinguishes alcoholic hepatitis from heavy drinkers and predicts 90-day outcome: lipoproteins in alcoholic hepatitis.

BACKGROUND: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) and alcoholic hepatitis (AH) significantly impact the liver, an organ central to the lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. OBJECTIVE: To define changes in the lipid and lipoprotein profiles in subjects with alcoholic hepatitis (AH) versus heavy drinkers with normal liver function and to determine the association of the AH-mediated lipoprotein phenotype with AH severity and outcomes. METHODS: AH cases (n=196) and a heavy drinker control group (n=169) were identified in a multicenter, prospective cohort. The relationships between lipid panels and lipoprotein profiles among AH and heavy drinkers were interrogated using three common measurements: the conventional lipid panel, extended lipid panel by NMR, and NMR-based direct lipoprotein profiling. Predictive values for AH severity and mortality were determined using Harrell's C-Index. RESULTS: Lipid and lipoprotein profiles were significantly different in AH compared to heavy drinkers. Among them, high density lipoprotein (HDL) particle concentration exhibited the most significant reduction in AH compared to heavy drinkers (5.3 ± 3.4 vs 22.3 ± 5.4 µmol/L, p < 0.001). Within AH patients, HDL particle concentration was inversely associated with Maddrey's Discriminant Function (DF) (p < 0.001), and independently associated with mortality at both 90 and 365 days even after adjustment for DF (p = 0.02, p = 0.05 respectively). HDL particle concentration less than 3.5 µmol/L and total cholesterol ≤ 96 mg/dL identified AH patients with higher 90-day mortality. CONCLUSION: Lipid and lipoprotein profiles are profoundly altered in AH and can help in prognosticating disease severity and mortality.

Associations Between Alcohol Use and Liver-Related Outcomes in a Large National Cohort of Patients With Cirrhosis.

Alcohol use can cause hepatic necroinflammation and worsening portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis. We aimed to evaluate the associations between degree of alcohol use and clinical liver-related outcomes according to etiology of cirrhosis. In this retrospective cohort analysis, 44,349 U.S. veterans with cirrhosis from alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were identified who completed the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption questionnaire in 2012. Based on this score, level of alcohol use was categorized as none, low level, or unhealthy. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess for associations between alcohol use and mortality, cirrhosis decompensation (new ascites, encephalopathy, or variceal bleeding), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). At baseline, 36.4% of patients endorsed alcohol use and 17.1% had unhealthy alcohol use. During a mean 4.9 years of follow-up, 25,806 (57.9%) patients died, 9,409 (21.4%) developed a new decompensation, and 4,733 (11.1%) developed HCC. In patients with ALD-cirrhosis and HCV-cirrhosis, unhealthy alcohol use, compared with no alcohol use, was associated with higher risks of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.19 and aHR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.08-1.20, respectively) and decompensation (aHR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.07-1.30 and aHR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.00-1.16, respectively). Alcohol use was not associated with HCC, regardless of cirrhosis etiology. Conclusion: Unhealthy alcohol use was common in patients with cirrhosis and was associated with higher risks of mortality and cirrhosis decompensation in patients with HCV-cirrhosis and ALD-cirrhosis. Therefore, health care providers should make every effort to help patients achieve abstinence. The lack of association between alcohol use and HCC merits further investigation.

Infections and demanding endocrine care contribute to increased mortality in patients with APECED.

OBJECTIVE: Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED) has variable clinical course. Overall mortality is increased but reasons for this remain largely unknown. Our objective was to assess the causes of death and factors contributing to increased mortality. DESIGN: A follow-up study of the Finnish APECED cohort in 1970-2019. METHODS: In 33 deceased patients with APECED, causes of death and clinical course preceding the death were analyzed using national registry data, death certificates, autopsy reports, and patient records. RESULTS: Most common causes leading to death were infections (24%), oral and esophageal malignancies (15%; median age at death 36.7 years; median survival 1.5 years), and diseases of the circulatory system (18%). Adrenal crisis was an independent cause of death in two patients. In addition, in four patients, the adrenal crisis was a complicating factor during a fatal infection. Other APECED manifestations leading to death were hypoparathyroidism, diabetes, and hepatitis. Other causes of death included accidents (12%), alcohol-related causes, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Challenges in overall, and especially in the endocrine, care contributed to deaths related to carcinomas and adrenal crisis. Age at death and year of death correlated (r = 0.345, P = 0.045), suggesting improved longevity. CONCLUSIONS: Infections, malignancies, and diseases of the circulatory system are the most common primary causes of death in patients with APECED. Adrenal crisis is an independent cause of death but more often a contributing factor in fatal infections. Despite the high overall mortality and the demanding care, our results suggest improved patient survival in recent years.

Trends in "Deaths of Despair" Among Working-Aged White and Black Americans, 1990-2017.

Life expectancy for US White men and women declined between 2013 and 2017. Initial explanations for the decline focused on increases in "deaths of despair" (i.e., deaths from suicide, drug use, and alcohol use), which have been interpreted as a cohort-based phenomenon afflicting middle-aged White Americans. There has been less attention on Black mortality trends from these same causes, and whether the trends are similar or different by cohort and period. We complement existing research and contend that recent mortality trends in both the US Black and White populations most likely reflect period-based exposures to 1) the US opioid epidemic and 2) the Great Recession. We analyzed cause-specific mortality trends in the United States for deaths from suicide, drug use, and alcohol use among non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White Americans, aged 20-64 years, over 1990-2017. We employed sex-, race-, and cause-of-death-stratified Poisson rate models and age-period-cohort models to compare mortality trends. Results indicate that rising "deaths of despair" for both Black and White Americans are overwhelmingly driven by period-based increases in drug-related deaths since the late 1990s. Further, deaths related to alcohol use and suicide among both White and Black Americans changed during the Great Recession, despite some racial differences across cohorts.

Timing of mortality in mothers with recurrent convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol and their children, from childbirth to child age 17.

BACKGROUND: We tested variation in the timing of child and maternal mortality associated with severe maternal AUD, as represented by recurrent arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol (rDUI). METHODS: rDUI mothers (N = 1614) and Controls with no alcohol-related driving offenses (N = 109,928) who gave birth in Missouri from 2000 to 2004 were identified using vital records. Propensity score matching adjusted for birth record measures including delayed prenatal care, smoking during pregnancy, relationship with reproductive partner [married/unmarried, paternity acknowledged/unacknowledged], partner DUI status from driving records, and for socioeconomic characteristics of maternal residential census tract at birth derived from census data. Survival analysis was used to test months from childbirth to child or maternal death as a function of lifetime rDUI status. RESULTS: Maternal rDUIs were associated with a consistently elevated probability of child mortality from birth through child age 17 after propensity score-adjustment (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 1.70, 95 % CI = 1.17-2.47). Maternal mortality was not elevated, relative to Controls, until child age 6-11 (HR = 1.58, 95 % CI = 1.05-2.35) and increased again from child age 12-17 (HR = 4.12, 95 % CI = 3.04-5.86). CONCLUSIONS: Severe maternal AUD, as characterized by rDUI, increases the risk for child mortality over that of Controls through age 17. Delays in rDUI maternal mortality until child age 6 may indicate a period when maternal referral for intervention to reduce harm to child and mother is likely to be especially effective.

Socio-economic differences in all-cause mortality in people with alcohol use disorder: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: While alcohol-attributable mortality rates are higher in low socio-economic status (SES) groups, less is known about SES differences in all-cause mortality in alcohol use disorder (AUD). The aim of this study was to explore whether there are SES differences in people with AUD, regarding (i) treatment admission, (ii) all-cause mortality risk and (iii) relative mortality risk. DESIGN AND SETTING: A prospective cohort study in Norway, follow-up period from 2009-10 to 2013. Data on SES and mortality were obtained through linkages to national registries, using national unique ID numbers. PARTICIPANTS: AUD patients (age 20+) admitted to treatment in 2009-10 (n = 11 726) and age and gender frequency-matched controls from the general population (n = 12 055). MEASUREMENTS: The SES indicator was education level (low, intermediate and high). Mortality was calculated as deaths per 1000 person-years during the 4-year observation period. FINDINGS: Admission to AUD treatment was elevated in the low compared with the high SES categories (OR = 3.31, 95% CI = 3.09, 3.55). Among AUD patients, mortality risk was elevated in the low SES category (HR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.45). Relative mortality risk from AUD was significantly higher in the high SES (HR = 8.65, 95% CI = 6.16, 12.14) compared with the low SES categories (HR = 3.29, 95% CI = 2.61, 4.15). CONCLUSION: Admission to treatment for alcohol use disorders in Norway appears to decrease with increasing socio-economic status, and relative mortality risk from alcohol use disorder appears to increase with increasing socio-economic status.

Suicide mortality risk in a cohort of individuals treated for alcohol, heroin or cocaine abuse: Results of a follow-up study.

Cohort study. This follow-up study (from 1975 to 2016) was aimed to estimate the mortality risk for suicide in a cohort of patients presenting to a public treatment centre for addiction (SERD) with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), Heroin Use Disorder - HUD or Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD), also relating to their access to a Mental Heath Service. Crude Mortality Rates for suicide were higher for patients with AUDs, for men and subjects 45-64 years old. Hanging was the main cause of suicide death. We highlight an increase in mortality in the period 2009-2012, which coincides with the economic recession, and in the year of first contact with a SERD. The Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) were 4.9, higher among females than males. From the multivariate analysis, a higher risk for patients that were separated or divorced was observed. The results of our study provide some guidance on the features of subjects at greatest risk of death from suicide, which may be useful in reducing and preventing suicide and gaining a better clinical management of patients with SUDs.

Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost From Excessive Alcohol Use - United States, 2011-2015.

Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States (1) and costs associated with it, such as those from losses in workplace productivity, health care expenditures, and criminal justice, were $249 billion in 2010 (2). CDC used the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) application* to estimate national and state average annual alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost (YPLL) during 2011-2015, including deaths from one's own excessive drinking (e.g., liver disease) and from others' drinking (e.g., passengers killed in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes). This study found an average of 95,158 alcohol-attributable deaths (261 deaths per day) and 2.8 million YPLL (29 years of life lost per death, on average) in the United States each year. Of all alcohol-attributable deaths, 51,078 (53.7%) were caused by chronic conditions, and 52,921 (55.6%) involved adults aged 35-64 years. Age-adjusted alcohol-attributable deaths per 100,000 population ranged from 20.8 in New York to 53.1 in New Mexico. YPLL per 100,000 population ranged from 631.9 in New York to 1,683.5 in New Mexico. Implementation of effective strategies for preventing excessive drinking, including those recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force (e.g., increasing alcohol taxes and regulating the number and concentration of alcohol outlets), could reduce alcohol-attributable deaths and YPLL.†.

Red Blood Cell Distribution Width as a Predictor of 28-Day Mortality in Critically Ill Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) are common attendees of the intensive care unit (ICU). Early assessment of the prognosis for critically ill patients with AUD is conducive for formulating comprehensive treatment measures and improving survival rates. The purpose of this study was to explore the predictive value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) for 28-day mortality in critically ill patients with AUD. METHODS: 2,884 patients with AUD were recruited retrospectively. Data from the MIMIC-III database were collected and analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the optimal cutoff value of RDW. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models were used to evaluate prognostic factors. RESULTS: Of the 2,884 patients, there were 344 nonsurvivors (11.9%). The nonsurvivors had a higher RDW than the survivors (p < 0.001). According to ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve predicted by RDW for 28-day mortality was 0.728 (95% CI, 0.700 to 0.755) and the optimal cutoff value was 15.45% (sensitivity: 67.2%; specificity: 67.3%). Length of stay in ICU, length of stay in hospital, in-hospital mortality, and 28-day mortality in patients with an RDW > 15.45% were significantly higher than in those with an RDW ≤ 15.45% (p < 0.001). Cox regression analysis showed that an RDW > 15.45% was an independent prognostic indicator for 28-day mortality in critically ill patients with AUD (HR = 1.964, 95% CI: 1.429 to 2.698). CONCLUSIONS: High RDW was associated with increased short-term mortality risks in critically ill patients with AUD.

Frequent Alcohol Intoxication and High Alcohol Tolerance During Adolescence as Predictors of Mortality: A Birth Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Long-term prospective studies evaluating the health burden that is consequent to adolescent drinking are needed. The aim of this study was to examine the predictive associations between self-reported alcohol tolerance and frequent intoxication at age 15-16 years and the risk of death by age 33 years. METHODS: A sample (n = 6,615; 49.3% males) of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort Study 1986 was studied. Self-reported alcohol tolerance (drinks needed to feel intoxicated) and frequency of alcohol intoxication at age 15-16 years were analyzed along with background variables and data regarding subsequent psychiatric diagnoses. Categories were formed for both predictive variables from self-reported tolerance and frequency of intoxication in mid-adolescence. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for death by age 30 years. RESULTS: By the age of 33 years, of all 6,615 participants, 53 (.8%) were deceased. The HR for death by age 33 years was 3.08 (95% CI 1.17-8.07) among adolescents with high alcohol tolerance compared with adolescents without alcohol use or intoxication. The frequency of alcohol intoxication was also associated with mortality; HR 2.05 (95% CI 1.01-4.16) for those who had been intoxicated one to two times and HR 3.02 (95% CI 1.21-7.54) for those who had been intoxicated three or more times in the past 30 days compared with adolescents without intoxication. CONCLUSIONS: High self-reported alcohol tolerance and frequent alcohol intoxication during mid-adolescence significantly predicted death by age 33 years. These behaviors carry long-term repercussions with respect to premature loss of life. Substantial efforts should be made to diminish this mortality risk.

Individual-level Associations Between Indicators of Social Capital and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Scores in Communities With High Mortality in Korea.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined associations among social capital indicators (social participation and generalized trust) at the individual level and alcohol use, which was quantified using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. METHODS: In total, there were 8800 participants in community health interviews, including 220 adults sampled systematically from a resident registration database of each of 40 sub-municipal administrative units of local (city or county) governments. Adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using polychotomous logistic regression. RESULTS: The aORs for abstainers versus people with AUDIT scores of 0-7, based on 3 questions on generalized trust, in comparison to those with no positive responses, were 1.15 (95% CI, 0.99 to 1.34) for 1 positive response, 1.16 (95% CI, 0.98 to 1.37) for 2 positive responses; and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.20 to 1.61) for 3 positive responses. The aORs for abstainers versus people with AUDIT scores of 0-7, in comparison to participation in no organizations, were 0.61 (95% CI, 0.54 to 0.69) for participation only in informal organizations; 2.16 (95% CI, 1.57 to 2.99) for participation only in religious organizations; 2.41 (95% CI, 1.10 to 5.29) for participation only in volunteer organizations; and 0.65 (95% CI, 0.57 to 0.74) for participation in formal organizations. Participants in formal social organizations, regardless of their participation in informal organizations, were more likely to have AUDIT scores of 8-15 (aOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.60) or ≥16 (aOR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.22 to 2.23) than to have scores of 0-7. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings may have implications for health policy to reduce alcohol problems.

Associations of substance use, psychosis, and mortality among people living in precarious housing or homelessness: A longitudinal, community-based study in Vancouver, Canada.

BACKGROUND: The "trimorbidity" of substance use disorder and mental and physical illness is associated with living in precarious housing or homelessness. The extent to which substance use increases risk of psychosis and both contribute to mortality needs investigation in longitudinal studies. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A community-based sample of 437 adults (330 men, mean [SD] age 40.6 [11.2] years) living in Vancouver, Canada, completed baseline assessments between November 2008 and October 2015. Follow-up was monthly for a median 6.3 years (interquartile range 3.1-8.6). Use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids was assessed by interview and urine drug screen; severity of psychosis was also assessed. Mortality (up to November 15, 2018) was assessed from coroner's reports and hospital records. Using data from monthly visits (mean 9.8, SD 3.6) over the first year after study entry, mixed-effects logistic regression analysis examined relationships between risk factors and psychotic features. A past history of psychotic disorder was common (60.9%). Nonprescribed substance use included tobacco (89.0%), alcohol (77.5%), cocaine (73.2%), cannabis (72.8%), opioids (51.0%), and methamphetamine (46.5%). During the same year, 79.3% of participants reported psychotic features at least once. Greater risk was associated with number of days using methamphetamine (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.24, p = 0.001), alcohol (aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.18, p = 0.04), and cannabis (aOR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02-1.14, p = 0.008), adjusted for demographic factors and history of past psychotic disorder. Greater exposure to concurrent month trauma was associated with increased odds of psychosis (adjusted model aOR 1.54, 95% CI 1.19-2.00, p = 0.001). There was no evidence for interactions or reverse associations between psychotic features and time-varying risk factors. During 2,481 total person years of observation, 79 participants died (18.1%). Causes of death were physical illness (40.5%), accidental overdose (35.4%), trauma (5.1%), suicide (1.3%), and unknown (17.7%). A multivariable Cox proportional hazard model indicated baseline alcohol dependence (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.83, 95% CI 1.09-3.07, p = 0.02), and evidence of hepatic fibrosis (aHR 1.81, 95% CI 1.08-3.03, p = 0.02) were risk factors for mortality. Among those under age 55 years, a history of a psychotic disorder was a risk factor for mortality (aHR 2.38, 95% CI 1.03-5.51, p = 0.04, adjusted for alcohol dependence at baseline, human immunodeficiency virus [HIV], and hepatic fibrosis). The primary study limitation concerns generalizability: conclusions from a community-based, diagnostically heterogeneous sample may not apply to specific diagnostic groups in a clinical setting. Because one-third of participants grew up in foster care or were adopted, useful family history information was not obtainable. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found methamphetamine, alcohol, and cannabis use were associated with higher risk for psychotic features, as were a past history of psychotic disorder, and experiencing traumatic events. We found that alcohol dependence, hepatic fibrosis, and, only among participants <55 years of age, history of a psychotic disorder were associated with greater risk for mortality. Modifiable risk factors in people living in precarious housing or homelessness can be a focus for interventions.

Deaths and Years of Potential Life Lost From Excessive Alcohol Use - United States, 2011-2015.

Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States (1) and costs associated with it, such as those from losses in workplace productivity, health care expenditures, and criminal justice, were $249 billion in 2010 (2). CDC used the Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI) application* to estimate national and state average annual alcohol-attributable deaths and years of potential life lost (YPLL) during 2011-2015, including deaths from one's own excessive drinking (e.g., liver disease) and from others' drinking (e.g., passengers killed in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes). This study found an average of 93,296 alcohol-attributable deaths (255 deaths per day) and 2.7 million YPLL (29 years of life lost per death, on average) in the United States each year. Of all alcohol-attributable deaths, 51,078 (54.7%) were caused by chronic conditions, and 52,361 (56.0%) involved adults aged 35-64 years. Age-adjusted alcohol-attributable deaths per 100,000 population ranged from 20.3 in New Jersey and New York to 52.3 in New Mexico. YPLL per 100,000 population ranged from 613.8 in New York to 1,651.7 in New Mexico. Implementation of effective strategies for preventing excessive drinking, including those recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force (e.g., increasing alcohol taxes and regulating the number and concentration of alcohol outlets), could reduce alcohol-attributable deaths and YPLL.†.