Alcohol is one of the leading causes of death in the United States today, increasing mortality rates both directly and indirectly. Excessive drinking contributes to a wide variety of diseases and is a factor many deaths resulting from accidents and violence. It is a common factor in spousal abuse, as well as in the neglect and abuse of children. When the numbers are run on alcohol related deaths, it is no wonder that it has become one of the leading killers in America.
MSN News reported that alcohol has been among the top killers of Americans since 2005, citing a supporting government study, with about 75,000 deaths per year being attributable to its misuse.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that the threats to health begin immediately when a person drinks in excess, especially when doing to on a regular basis. Aside from the higher incidents of family violence, accidental injury, and death that is typically associated with drinking too much, there is also a higher incidence of risky sexual behavior, which can result in life altering venereal diseases.
Over the long term, excessive consumption of alcohol, which can lead to alcoholism, contributes to a broad range of chronic diseases. Among these are cirrhosis of the liver, heart disease, stroke, neurological disorders, several types of cancer, and a variety of gastrointestinal ailments. It can also contribute to poor mental health, such as addiction, depression, and assorted personality disorders and cognitive dysfunctions. Alcoholics often destroy their social support systems, losing their family and friends to their destructive drinking patterns.
Drinking in excess of moderate amounts on a regular basis is dangerous to physical and mental health. With the numerous ways that alcohol directly and indirectly contributes to disease and causes death, it has become one of the top preventable causes of premature mortality in the nation today. It is time to recognize unhealthy drinking patterns in our own lives, and in the lives of those we love, and take action to prevent adding to the ever growing list of alcohol related deaths.