COMMENTARY / World

Women are drinking more alcohol and it’s killing them

Gender differences are converging as men’s drinking declines and women's increases

In 1990, there were five times as many men who had alcohol use disorder than women — now it’s two times, according to the director of a research institute on alcoholism and alcohol abuse. | Getty Images

By Lisa Jarvis
Bloomberg

Aug 18, 2023

New data show that more U.S. women are dying from alcohol than ever before.

Public health authorities need to adopt more effective strategies to help women realize when their drinking is a problem. Considering the many marketing messages pushing a "rosé all day” lifestyle, that campaign will be an uphill battle.

But exposing the dangers of drinking will save lives. A recent analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that alcohol-related deaths among women increased by nearly 15% per year between 2018 and 2020. The pandemic potentially exacerbated the trend, with overall alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. rising precipitously in spring 2020 and continuing to rise through 2021, the most recent data available.

Women are drinking more alcohol and it’s killing them

Gender differences are converging as men’s drinking declines and women's increases

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