During the global COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant increase in alcohol use disorder-related deaths among all age groups and sexes.
During the global COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant increase in alcohol use disorder-related deaths among all age groups and sexes. Actual mortality rates related to alcohol have been far higher than “normal statistical levels” for both 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, observed death rates tied to alcohol were 25% higher than expected, and in 2021, mortality rates were 22% greater than expected statistically. Young adult age groups have seen an especially sharp rise, with the 25-44 age group showing the highest increases.
Another similar study projected that a sample one-year increase in alcohol consumption during the pandemic will create 8,000 additional deaths from liver disease, 18,700 cases of liver failure, and 1,000 cases of liver cancer by 2040.
Because alcohol is a legal, socially acceptable drug, actual alcohol use disorder is often extremely under-reported, so actual mortality rates may be even higher than reported in current studies.
None of this data and findings are a surprise. The problems of addiction and substance abuse never go away, and have been exacerbated by forced changes, lockdowns and loss of employment during the pandemic. An increase in substance-abuse related deaths and health issues is to be expected.
Besides the numbers data on increased deaths, there are other useful points and conclusions that can be made. These are great qualitative points that back up what just feels kind of obvious when you think about the lockdowns and the pandemic.
Years on, many families are still living with drinking habits that hardened during lockdown. A pattern that began as a nightly glass to cope with isolation can quietly become a physical dependence, and because the change happened gradually and at home, families often struggle to name the moment it became a problem. Clinicians commonly see the same signs: drinking that starts earlier in the day, defensiveness about quantities, hidden bottles, missed obligations, and health complaints that a doctor traces back to alcohol.
It helps to treat alcohol use disorder as what the medical community says it is: a chronic, treatable health condition, not a moral failing. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism maintains plain-language resources on how drinking problems develop and how treatment works at niaaa.nih.gov. One point worth knowing is medical: for a person who has become physically dependent, stopping abruptly and alone can be dangerous, and withdrawal from alcohol is one of the few that can be life-threatening without supervision. A medically supervised detox is the safe route, and it is part of what a good treatment plan arranges in advance.
Statistics like the ones above describe populations, but the decision in front of a family is about one person. The useful response is not alarm. It is a structured plan. A professional intervention gives a family a prepared, compassionate way to present concern, offer a clear path into treatment, and hold steady if the first answer is no. The approaches with the strongest research support, including the CRAFT model documented in clinical guidance gathered by SAMHSA, coach the family in communication and reinforcement rather than confrontation.
Preparation matters more than the conversation itself: aligning the family on a shared message, arranging a treatment placement in advance so a yes can be acted on immediately, and planning for the practical steps that follow, from sober transport to aftercare. If someone you love has been drinking more since the pandemic and cannot seem to stop, you do not need to wait for a crisis. Call (850) 563-9776 or reach us through our contact page to talk through your situation confidentially. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911, or call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
It can be. Alcohol use disorder is a chronic, treatable medical condition, and a pattern that began as coping during lockdown can become physical dependence. Signs like hidden bottles, defensiveness, and drinking earlier in the day are reasons to seek an assessment.
Often it is not. Alcohol withdrawal is one of the few that can be life-threatening without medical supervision. A medically supervised detox is the safe route, and a good intervention plan arranges it in advance.
When your own conversations have stopped working and the drinking is affecting health, work, or relationships. A professional interventionist helps the family prepare a unified message and a treatment placement so a yes can be acted on the same day.
One confidential conversation with a professional interventionist. No pressure, no obligation. We'll help you find the right next step for your family.
