In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 states with the most alcohol related deaths in the US. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the economic cost of excessive drinking, the impact of Covid-19 on alcohol consumption in America, and the role of ride-sharing apps in preventing drunk driving, head to 15 States with the Most Alcohol Related Deaths in the US.
5. Montana
Average Death Rate per 100,000 People: 20.3
Alcohol consumption in Montana has increased significantly over the last three decades, from a low of just under 2.8 gallons per capita in 1996 to 3.34 gallons per capita in 2021, an increase of 19.2%. However, the silver lining is that alcohol consumption by the Montana youth has fallen significantly over the last decade. In 2011, around 39% of the state’s high school students reported drinking alcohol within the past 30 days. In 2021, this figure had already dropped to 21%.
4. South Dakota
Average Death Rate per 100,000 People: 21.2
The number of alcohol-related deaths in South Dakota increased by 159% over the last decade, from 156 deaths in 2012 to 404 in 2021. The state also ranked second in the country for the rate at which its residents die of liver diseases, with about 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people in 2017.
As a result, the Mount Rushmore State has taken a number of initiatives to control excessive drinking. The state’s innovative 24/7 Sobriety Program requires those arrested for or convicted of alcohol-involved offenses to take twice-a-day breathalyzer tests or wear a continuous alcohol monitoring bracelet.
3. Alaska
Average Death Rate per 100,000 People: 23.9
Alaska has a reputation as a hard-drinking state with simple tastes. However, the state’s alcohol preferences are changing and it’s drinking less beer, more liquor and more wine. It’s also drinking less mainstream beer and more craft beer.
The number of alcohol related deaths has more than doubled in Alaska in recent years, with 139 deaths in 2014 to 315 in 2021. The death rate is particularly high among Native Alaskans, who avoid alcohol addiction treatment also because of the lack of integrating tribal customs and values into the treatments.
2. Wyoming
Average Death Rate per 100,000 People: 28.5
Drunk driving is a serious problem in Wyoming (popular for its moonshine), with the state having the second-highest rate in the country of people killed in crashes involving a drunk driver – 6.78 per 100,000 people. Excessive alcohol consumption costs Wyoming around $593.1 million per year, or $1,052 per capita.
1. New Mexico
Average Death Rate per 100,000 People: 34.3
There were 1,878 alcohol-related deaths in New Mexico in 2020, about a third of which were caused by chronic liver disease. The New Mexico Department of Health launched its CSTE alcohol surveillance system in 2017, which brings together information (alcohol consumption behaviors and associated morbidity, mortality, and policy-related measures) necessary to show a clear picture of the alcohol effects in the state. This system yields usable, timely data from which the state officials can monitor trends and develop interventions to reduce the prevalence of alcohol-attributable morbidity and mortality.
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