The statistics are alarming. Between 1999 and 2017, alcohol induced death in the US jumped from nearly 36,000 a year to almost 73,000. The study associates the deaths with negative emotions born out of despair and hopelessness, and increase in stress level which results in substance abuse and alcohol abuse. At least one in five overdose deaths involves excessive drinking.

The study team reviewed death certificate data US National Center for Health Statistics. It was fund that in 2017, alcohol abuse accounted for 2.6% of the nearly 3 million deaths in USA. Among these about 50% deaths were from liver disease or overdose of liquor alone or combined with other drugs.