There has been widespread media attention on the opioid epidemic in recent years, and for good reason. Opiate-related deaths have increased dramatically across the United States.
But many Americans assume opioids are the most abused or life-threatening substance in the country. That’s not accurate.
Alcohol continues to rank as the most widely abused and deadliest substance in the United States. The reason it surprises people is that we don’t talk about the dangers of alcohol abuse as openly or urgently as we talk about other drugs.
More People Die of Alcohol Use Disorder Than Drugs
Recent research shows that the toll of alcohol-related deaths in the United States continues to climb, far beyond what many people realize.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths from excessive alcohol use increased sharply at approximately 29% from 137,927 during 2016–2017 to 178,307 during 2020–2021. That’s roughly 488 deaths per day from causes linked to excessive drinking during the most recent reporting period.
This increase affected both men and women, with male alcohol-attributable deaths rising about 27% and female deaths increasing approximately 35% over the same span.
On the contrary, the CDC reported a significant decrease in deaths involving opioids from 84,181 in 2022 to 81, 083 in 2023. The numbers are far fewer than deaths related to alcohol a few years prior.
Why Aren’t We Talking About The Dangers of Abusing Alcohol More?
The short answer is that alcohol is normalized. It’s socially acceptable, widely available, and woven into celebrations, meals, and daily routines.
But that’s not the only reason.
Many people underestimate the dangers because alcohol’s effects are gradual, long-term, and often invisible until serious consequences occur. Unlike drugs that cause immediate, dramatic crises, alcohol quietly creeps up on you, which increases the risk of it being overlooked.
Below, we break down the key reasons alcohol abuse often flies under the radar.
1. Alcohol Is Legal
One reason why we don’t talk about this is that alcohol is a legal substance in the United States. Therefore, we do not stigmatize alcohol in the same way that we do illegal drugs.
Following the Prohibition Era, the U.S Constitution was ratified to once again make alcohol legal. Alcohol has remained legal as a result of this since 1933. Alcohol is a widely used substance because it is legal. Americans consume millions of dollars in alcohol yearly. Yet, it is highly addictive and may cause serious health consequences.
Extreme use of alcohol can lead to not just alcohol withdrawal. It can cause Liver Cirrhosis, brain damage, certain cancers, and heart disease. Additionally, cancer and diabetes have links to alcohol abuse.
Many Americans don’t realize how the dangers of abusing alcohol are defined by public health authorities. According to the CDC:
Excessive drinking is defined as eight or more drinks per week for women or 15 or more drinks per week for men. Binge drinking, on the other hand, is four or more drinks for women or five or more for men on a single occasion.
These thresholds matter because the effects of alcohol at or above these levels are far more profound. Even moderate alcohol consumption carries long‑term health risks, and protecting your health and safety at risk means recognizing that “moderate” doesn’t mean “risk‑free.”
2. Society Encourages Drinking
Another key factor in why we don’t discuss the dangers of drinking more often is that, consuming alcohol is American culture in many ways encourages drinking. Drinking a beer at a baseball game, or having a glass of champagne on your wedding night, is not just common but almost expected. Going out to dinner will nearly always begin with a drink menu.
Similarly, even a backyard barbecue is likely to be fully stocked with alcohol. One on hand, drinking occasionally or socially can actually be relatively safe.
That’s where the dangers of alcohol begin. Anytime alcohol is around, it raises the chances of making potentially bad choices.
Even casual drinking can have negative effects. In the United States, the blood alcohol content limit for a DUI is .08%. This level can be reached after only one to two drinks, depending on the alcohol percentage in the beverage.
As such, legal penalties for DUIs can range extensively, from fines to jail time. In almost every DUI case, the driver will lose their license for some period of time. However, there are more serious risks. These include auto injury or death.
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3. Drinking Excessively is Considered Cool
Furthermore, young people are especially at risk for drinking excessively or experiencing the dangers of alcohol abuse. This is because pop culture encourages partying. Everywhere you look in young society, you will see examples of this. Young People are sent the message that drinking and doing drugs are cool.
Specifically, you will find music that glorifies the party lifestyle, reality TV shows that show scenes of drunken stars acting belligerent, and movies making light of nights spent in blackouts.
In other words, it’s easy to see why this behavior has become “acceptable”. Making poor decisions under the influence has become closely associated with youth. We pass this off by attributing it to kids being young and dumb. This may be the most dangerous of all the ways that alcohol culture affects young Americans.
For example, the University of Pittsburgh and Dartmouth University conducted a study of how music and culture affect substance abuse among teens. This study found that teenagers will hear 3 references to name-brand alcohol for every one hour of music that they listen to.
Additionally, teens who listen to music or watch television that has references to alcohol and marijuana are more likely to use these substances than teens who don’t.
4. Drinking is a Business
Finally, perhaps the biggest reason why Americans aren’t talking more about the dangers of alcohol abuse is that drinking is a huge business in the United States. In 2011, alcohol sales in America made manufacturers $187 Million dollars.
Statista reports:
“Since 2011 sales have increased by 25 percent, averaging an increase of roughly 3.7 percent per year.”
That put alcohol sales on track to bring in $250 Million dollars in revenue by 2020. The reality is that as long as alcohol continues to be a major money maker, the danger that comes with drinking will probably not get the attention that it deserves.
Alcohol retailers and manufacturers will continue to push to get alcohol into establishments. They will try to make drinking a part of holidays, gatherings, and celebrations in order to continue profiting from its sales. Americans are continuously introduced to, become familiar with, and become dependent on alcohol.
Withdrawal Symptoms and Causes of Alcohol Misuse
Alcohol use disorder, sometimes called alcoholism, doesn’t happen overnight. For many, it starts casually and gradually turns into heavy drinking.
Common causes of alcohol use disorder (AUD) include:
- Genetics or family history of alcohol misuse
- Chronic stress or exposure to high-stress environments
- Mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety
- Early or frequent exposure to alcohol
- Peer pressure or social norms that encourage drinking
- Trauma or adverse childhood experiences
- Using alcohol to self-medicate for emotional or physical pain
Common symptoms include:
- Drinking more or for longer than intended
- Persistent desire or unsuccessful attempts to cut down
- Spending a lot of time obtaining, drinking, or recovering from alcohol
- Craving or strong desire to drink
- Recurrent alcohol use resulting in failure to fulfill major responsibilities
- Continuing to drink despite social, interpersonal, or legal problems
- Giving up or reducing important activities in favor of drinking
- Developing a higher, almost insatiable, tolerance to alcohol (needing more alcohol to achieve the same effect)
- Weakened immune system
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
Withdrawal symptoms can range from mild to severe and may include anxiety, tremors, sweating, nausea, headaches, insomnia, rapid heartbeat, and, in severe cases, seizures or delirium tremens (DTs). These symptoms can be so strong that they can easily drive a person into relapse without expert intervention.
How to Avoid the Risks of Alcohol Use Disorder
Just because alcohol is available doesn’t mean that every person who drinks alcohol has a problem with it. In fact, the majority of Americans drink alcohol responsibly. Most do not go on to develop addictions or suffer health consequences from their drinking.
According to Project Know, the number of Americans over the age of 18 who develop a dependence on alcohol is about 7%.
Regardless, just because you don’t have a problem with drinking doesn’t mean you should just sit back, relax, and keep going. Remember, the risk of developing alcohol use disorder is slow. Without being fully aware of it, your moderate alcohol use may increase and worsen over time before you know it.
Being informed is the best way to avoid becoming addicted to alcohol or becoming the victim of alcohol related accidents or diseases. Talk about the dangers of consuming alcohol, whether socially or excessively. Encourage others to talk about it as well.
Try to do so openly and without judgment. Talking about alcohol abuse will become more comfortable the more the stigma of addiction is broken. Specifically, doing this helps deter the serious consequences, which can be avoided.
The good news is that there is help for the 7% who develop an addiction. From hospitals and therapists to treatment centers and detoxes, there are multitudes of resources available to those who suffer from alcoholism.
Avoid the Dangers of Alcohol Abuse
For many people with alcohol use disorder, the hardest step is simply admitting there may be a problem. Alcohol can slowly take control without you realizing it, changing brain chemistry and behavior patterns over time.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an addiction to alcohol, reach out for help! Speaking to a health care provider, a trusted confidant, or a member of an addiction treatment facility allows you to receive a proper diagnosis and tests to assess and manage the addiction and get your life back on track.
Got charged with a DUI? Keep your substance use at bay by holding yourself accountable.
