Alcohol-Related Deaths Increased By 35% For Women — What's Going On?

Bottomless brunches have morphed into a hobby, mommy wine culture has spread like wildfire, and after-work happy hours have regained a standing time slot on calendars. These scenes often paint a giggly facade on social media.

But data now shows that, yes, alcohol use among women (especially women in their late 20s and 30s) is increasing and more and more women are dying from alcohol-related deaths. 

Data released this year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) found that alcohol-related deaths are increasing across the board. 

From 2020 to 2021, excessive drinking led to a total of 178,000 deaths1—equaling almost 500 daily deaths. Researchers took into account both deaths from chronic conditions (like cancer and liver disease) as well as acute deaths (accidents from one occasion of drinking too much).

Overall, men still account for a higher percentage of these deaths than women—but women are quickly closing that gap. The prevalence of excessive drinking among women rose by about 35% during the time of this study compared to a 27% rise among men. 

This aligns with data published by researchers back in June 2023, showing that women of reproductive age are more likely to binge drink or have alcohol use disorder now than women who were the same age in the mid-1990s.

Drinking regularly has become more normalized than ever—in personal and professional settings as well as social and at-home settings. 

Messages women get from each other as well as messaging from the alcohol industry frame drinking as an effective and enjoyable stress relief. 

In a world where pretty heavy (and frequent) drinking occasions are normalized, it can be pretty easy to overdo it on alcohol—especially since moderate drinking for women is considered to be one drink per day. 

Both excessive drinking and alcohol-related deaths are becoming all too commonplace—and women are facing a unique set of societal pressures and health concerns. It's important to know that even having one drink daily (within the advisable moderate drinking guideline for women) is linked to a higher risk of chronic disease like cirrhosis. So practicing mindful drinking habits and daily liver health practices is a good place to start.