The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that during each
of the years 2006 to 2010, excessive alcohol use led to approximately 88,000
deaths, 2.5 million years of potential life lost, and a shortening the lives of those
who died by an average of 30 years. Further, excessive consumption of alcohol was
responsible for one in 10 deaths among working-age adults aged 20 to 64 years. The
economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2010 were estimated at $249
billion, or $2.05 a drink. The top causes of these deaths are liver disease
and motor vehicle crashes, but cancer is also linked to alcohol.
Undoubtedly almost everyone knows that the use of tobacco products causes cancer,
but many people seem unaware that drinking any amount of alcohol causes
some harm to health and is a major contributor to cancer mortality. A study that
estimated alcohol-attributable cancer mortality found that alcohol consumption resulted
in an estimated 18,200 to 21,300 cancer deaths annually, or 3.2% to 3.7%
of annual U.S. cancer deaths. Among women, the most cancer deaths attributed
to alcohol are from breast cancer. Among men, upper airway and esophageal cancer
account for the most cancer deaths attributed to alcohol. Alcohol-attributable
cancers result in an estimated 17 to 19 years of potential life lost. One study found
that daily consumption of even small amounts of alcohol was risky in that up to 20
grams of alcohol (about 1.5 drinks) accounted for 26% to 35% of alcohol-attributable
cancer deaths.
Excessive alcohol use has immediate effects that increase the risk of many harmful
health conditions—most often the result of binge drinking:
• Injuries, such as motor vehicle crashes, falls, drownings, and burns
• Violence, including homicide, suicide, sexual assault, and intimate partner
violence
• Alcohol poisoning, a life threatening medical emergency caused by
dangerously high blood alcohol levels
• Risky sexual behaviors, unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners,
unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV
• Miscarriage and stillbirth or fetal alcohol spectrum disorders among pregnant
women
This blog presents opinions and ideas and is intended to provide helpful general information. I am not engaged in rendering advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures and suggestions in that are presented are not in any way a substitute for the advice and care of the reader’s own physician or other medical professional based on the reader’s own individual conditions, symptoms or concerns. If the reader needs personal medical, health, dietary, exercise or other assistance or advice the reader should consult a physician and/or other qualified health professionals. The author specifically disclaims all responsibility for any injury, damage or loss that the reader may incur as a direct or indirect consequence of following any directions or suggestions given in this blog or participating in any programs described in this blog or in the book, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Your Health with a Lifestyle Checklist (available in print or downloaded at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble and elsewhere). Copyright 2021 by J. Joseph Speidel
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