We were saddened but not surprised to see this new Center on Society and Health report sharing the fact that American life expectancy has decreased for the third year in a row, in part due to rising alcohol abuse.
(For the record, the average American is expected to live about 78.6 years, which is below the OECD average of 80).
To be clear, the report also cites other causes for the reduced life expectancy in America beside alcohol abuse, including rising suicide rates and drug overdoses. But between 1999 and 2017, the age-adjusted death rates for alcoholic liver disease increase by 41%. That’s a LOT.
What’s more, the increases are concentrated in states like West Virginia and Ohio that have experienced economic challenges in the same time period. In other words, what it looks like to us is despair. People appear to be losing faith that things will get better for them, and turning to drugs, alcohol, or suicide as an escape.
Alcohol offers a temporary reprieve from whatever is going on, but it offers that escape at a price. If anyone in your life is showing signs of relying on alcohol to deal with emotional problems, we encourage you to help them deal with their problems in healthier ways. Also, if they decide to make changes to their drinking habits over the holidays, we’d love to help them cut back or quit.
Drinker’s Helper is an app that provides motivational exercises, drink tracking and insights into why you drink, and a support group of your peers to help you make needed changes. You can try it free for a week before joining!
