Alcohol Related Deaths

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Drinking alcoholic beverages in an abusive, chronic, and irresponsible way can lead to more than a few different alcohol related deaths.  What are some of the main reasons for alcohol related fatalities?  Wouldn't it seem to make sense that with our medical advancements and increased educational efforts that the number of alcohol related deaths would be significantly reduced on an annual basis?  Please continue reading for more relevant information about this important topic.

Familiar Alcohol Related Deaths

image: doctor looking at test results for chronic alcoholic For sure, there is not an insignificant number of fairly common alcohol related deaths and many less routine alcohol related deaths.  Plausibly, the most widespread alcohol related deaths concern the following: loss of life from excessive alcohol withdrawal symptoms, unforeseen deaths from chronic alcoholism, deadly alcohol overdoses, the lost of life of children due to fetal alcohol syndrome and other serious birth defects, and alcohol related fatalities from vehicle accidents.

These are the unfortunate alcohol related deaths that we usually read about in our newspapers and invariably seem to make the nightly news.

Less Familiar Alcohol Related Deaths

Some less obvious alcohol related deaths take place within society in general from suicide and homicide; in the workplace via alcohol-related injuries, homicides, and accidents; and in the home from wife battering, homicide, and child abuse.

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Excessive Drinking and Alcohol Related Deaths From Cancer

image: doctor checking on status of alcoholic in critical condition Alcohol related deaths also happen from certain types of cancer that are directly or indirectly caused by excessive and abusive alcohol consumption.  Some of the more typical types of cancer that are alcohol-related and that in many instances lead to death consist of the following:

  • Throat cancer
  • Cancer of the stomach
  • Esophagus cancer
  • Colon cancer
  • Cancer of the larynx
  • Cancer of the rectum
  • Liver cancer
  • Kidney cancer

Non-Cancerous Alcohol Related Fatalities

In addition to the link between cancer and chronic, abusive drinking, there are many alcohol related deaths from disorders and illnesses that are not related to cancer.  The following is a list of non-cancerous diseases, physical conditions, and medical problems that are alcohol-related and that frequently lead to the loss of life:

  • Pneumonia
  • Diabetes
  • Cirrhosis of the liver
  • Organ and system malfunction
  • Kidney and urinary tract infections
  • Ulcers from the perforation of the stomach and the intestines
  • Brain damage

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  • Malnutrition
  • Kidney failure
  • Cardiovascular difficulties such as strokes and heart failure
  • Pancreatitis
  • Alcohol-induced coma
  • Infections
It is not clear whether starting to drink at an early age actually causes alcoholism or whether it simply indicates an existing vulnerability to alcohol use disorders. For example, both early drinking and alcoholism have been linked to personality characteristics such as strong tendencies to act impulsively and to seek out new experiences and sensations.

Alcohol Related Deaths:  Conclusion

image: doctor writing in chart of chronic binge drinker A review of different scientific research studies presents a substantial number of alcohol related deaths from quite a few obvious and some not so obvious sources.  Some of the more unambiguous ways in which people lose their lives from chronic and abusive drinking involve traffic fatalities, homicides, alcohol poisoning, chronic alcoholism, diverse alcohol-related birth defects such as fetal alcohol syndrome, suicides, and critical alcohol withdrawal symptoms.

Other comparatively less common alcohol related fatalities occur from a number of different forms of cancer.  In addition, a relatively large number of alcohol related deaths arise from non-cancerous, alcohol-related mental and physical health difficulties, medical conditions, and diseases like heart failure, alcohol-induced coma, pancreatitis, organ failure, strokes, and brain damage.

Limited work supervision, often a problem on evening shifts, has been associated with employee alcohol problems. In one study of 832 workers at a large manufacturing plant, workers on evening shifts, during which supervision was reduced, were more likely than those on other shifts to report drinking at work.

It almost seems as if every year medical scientific discoveries are uncovering another affliction or physical and psychological wellness problem that is caused either directly or indirectly from chronic alcohol abuse and alcohol dependency. Alas, scores of these alcohol-related medical problems and issues have resulted in the untimely deaths of countless numbers of individuals.  One would think that access to this data would substantially diminish the relatively great number of individuals who are addicted to alcohol or who are chronic alcohol abusers.  Remorsefully, the medical and alcohol dependency death statistics do not corroborate this contention.

The bottom line is this.  We now have valid scientific evidence that long-term excessive and abusive drinking can and does lead to alcohol related deaths.  It is time for us to stop making excuses for our irresponsible behavior and either learn how to drink in a way that does not harm us or refrain from drinking altogether.

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Many people who have alcohol problems are successful in other areas of their lives, and they might even be able to hide their problem for years. These people often deny that they have a problem.

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Heavy alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure even in people with no history of heart disease. The more alcohol someone drinks, the greater the increase in blood pressure, with binge drinkers (people who have nine or more drinks once or twice a week) being at greatest risk. One study found that binge drinkers had a risk for a cardiac emergency that was two and a half times that of non drinkers.

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