Alcohol-related deaths
Alcohol-related deaths(alcohol deaths) encompass fatalities related to alcohol consumption. They can range from violence erupting from alcohol misuse, liver disease, alcohol poisoning, drunk driving accidents, and other health conditions exacerbated by alcohol.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report of 2010 presents that excessive alcohol consumption contributes to 88,000 deaths yearly in the US. However, researchers imply that this CDC estimate was an undercount.
There’s a good chance the death toll due to excessive drinking is now above 140,000, as determined by a 2015-19 survey. This means a minimum of 380 deaths per day!
Other reports show 29 DUI-related deaths per day in the US. In the year 2012, the national DUI death toll was 10,327. In more recent statistics, the National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) revealed alcohol-related death toll had increased by more than 25% – from slightly over 39,000 to more than 49,000 deaths between 2019-’20. In 2021, the post-pandemic alcohol-related death toll went up 34% to more than 52,000 deaths.
According to the World Health Organization, there were about 3 million alcohol-related deaths (alcohol deaths) in 2016 on a global scale.
Major contributing factors
The inflated death toll due to alcohol consumption has been attributable to the following factors:
- Chronic health conditions – prolonged and excessive alcohol consumption causes chronic health conditions such as liver cirrhosis, liver and oesophageal cancers, pancreatitis, and cardiovascular diseases.
- Accidents and injuries – alcohol impairs judgement, coordination and reaction times, increasing the risk of accidents and injuries. Such incidents include motor vehicle accidents, falls, drowning, occupational accidents, and fires.
- Violence and homicides – alcohol is associated with aggressive behaviour, leading to interpersonal violence.
- Suicide and self-harm – mental health issues often accompany alcohol abuse disorder. Mental illnesses, combined with alcohol misuse, may increase the risk of impulsive actions, which nourish suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
- Underlying health conditions – people with pre-existing health conditions, such as liver or kidney diseases, are more susceptible to the adverse effects of alcohol consumption. Their medications can also interact negatively with alcohol, increasing the risk of complications and death.
Impact of alcohol-related deaths
With the appalling figures demonstrated above, there has been a domino effect on the population. Researchers have reported that deaths from excessive drinking have:
- Increase the number of premature deaths, leading to a loss of more than half of the years of potential life. Pregnant women consuming alcohol also predispose their unborn child to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), which can lead to premature death in severe cases.
- Significantly shortened the lives of people with a life expectancy of 26 years.
- Primarily resulted from the health effects of excessive drinking over a long period.
- Predominantly involved male adults above 35 years.
Gun-related deaths
Gun deaths are deaths by involvement of a firearm. This encompasses suicides, homicides, or accidental shootings resulting from mental health issues, accidents, domestic violence or criminal activity.
According to Amnesty International, about 2,000 people are injured by gunshots daily. More than 500 people from this number die every day. On a global scale, more than 2 million people live with firearm injuries, and millions suffer the long-term psychological effects of gun violence. Gunshot injuries always cause an ingrained physical and mental impact on the victim’s health.
Statistics from the CDC reveal that about 48,830 people died from gun violence in the US in 2021. Of this number, 54% (26,328) of gun-related deaths were suicides, 43% (20,958) were homicides, and the rest were accidental, imposed by law enforcement of civilians, and undetermined incidents accounting for 549, 537, and 458 respectively.
Even more devastating is that between 2014-18, 15,000 children and teenagers under the age bracket 1-19 succumbed to gun violence. Of this number, 13,000 succumbed to unintentional firearm-related injuries. The Commonwealth has declared gun violence the leading cause of death among US children and teens aged between 1-19.
The Gun Violence Archive Report 2023 shows that the total number of gun deaths by July this year was 22,289, and gun-related injuries were 19,373.
Major contributing factors
There are certain risk factors which predispose one to gun violence. They include:
- Firearm availability – the availability and accessibility of guns play a significant role in gun-related deaths. There are higher rates of gun availability in developed countries compared to developing or underdeveloped countries. For every 100 people, there are about 120.5 guns in circulation. Data shows that 1.7 million children in the States live with unlocked and loaded guns. When extrapolated, one in every three homes with kids has guns. In addition, there are over 393 million guns in circulation today.
- Mental health – with the high rates of gun availability, individuals with untreated mental health issues often fall victim to suicides or homicides.
- Suicide vs. homicide overlap – gun-related deaths may sometimes involve a combination of homicides and suicides. This happens when individuals end their lives or harm others before or during the act.
- Accidental shootings – lack of education, training, negligence and improper storage of firearms can result in unintentional shootings. Accidental shootings are prone in households with unsecured firearms or where children can easily access loaded guns. 31% of accidental gun deaths are preventable had the firearms had a loading indicator or a childproof safety lock.
- Domestic violence – firearms in domestic conflicts increase the risk of their lethality as they empower the perpetrator and reduce the chances for the victim to escape or defend themselves.
Impact of gun violence
Gun violence affects victims, their families, the community, and society. Some of the key impacts of gun violence include:
- Loss of life.
- Physical and psychological injuries on the survivors of gun violence.
- Fear and trauma – communities impacted by gun violence live in an environment of fear, anxiety, and trauma. The neighbourhoods and schools live in insecurity, affecting the lives of residents.
- Social disruption – the loss of community members, lack of trust, and fear of violence can fracture the social fabric of a people. This can also breed retaliatory violence from a community.
- Economic burden – gun violence breeds costs associated with medical care, mental health services, and rehabilitation. It also leads to the loss of productivity, income, and workforce due to injuries or deaths. These significantly impact the economic stability of families and communities at large.
In high-income countries such as the US, medical spending goes beyond hospital rooms. Gunshot patients spend an average of $2,945 per month the year following the injury.
- Public health burden – over the years, gun violence has substantially impacted the healthcare system. This is accrued in providing mental health support, treating gunshot injuries, and counselling the affected communities.
With the US being the leading country with the highest firearm-related injuries, more than $1 billion is spent on initial medical costs, with most burden going to Medicaid and other public insurance programs.
The US registers about 30,000 inpatient and 50,000 emergency visits each year. In 2020, firearm deaths accrued to over $290 million.
Furthermore, most factors driving gun- and alcohol-related deaths are multifaceted. Much evidence has been presented suggesting a link between excessive alcohol consumption and gun violence. This is mainly due to the rising statistics on gun violence crimes whose perpetrators had acutely or heavily consumed alcohol.
Some pioneering points that depict an intersection between the two are listed below:
The link between gun violence and excessive alcohol consumption
Evidence of the link between alcohol abuse and gun violence
Alcohol and firearm-involved suicide
Although not all suicides involving firearms are related to alcohol consumption, studies have shown that many individuals who committed suicide by firearm had alcohol in their system at the time of death.
Alcohol plays a significant role in increasing impulsivity and impaired judgement. Nonetheless, mental health plays a significant role in fuelling alcohol-related problems. Statistics reveal that alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia, among other disorders.
These conditions increase the frequency of suicidal thoughts and behaviours. Factoring alcohol into the equation only increases the likelihood of impulsive acts of self-harm. A National Institute of Health (NIH) report proves that 35.0% of US firearm suicide victims had acute amounts of alcohol in their system. In comparison, a corresponding 25.2% had heavily consumed alcohol.
Access to firearms is also a primary contributor to firearm- and alcohol-related suicides. People with easy access to guns and underlying mental and substance use disorders are more likely to commit suicide by firearm than those without access.
Alcohol and firearm-related homicides
While research has attempted to establish an intersection between alcohol use, homicides and firearms, it is crucial to note that this relationship is multifaceted and varies depending on social, cultural and individual circumstances.
One thing is for sure, alcohol aggravates aggression and impaired judgement. Additionally, violent behaviour from alcohol misuse may not always lead to a criminal act or homicide.
However, it would be remiss not to recognize that a significant proportion of homicides involve the misuse of alcohol by either the perpetrator, the victim, or both, at the time of the crime.
This is backed by statistics from the NIH, which report that an average of 37.2% of US firearm homicide victims had mildly consumed alcohol before their death, while 30.1% had heavy amounts of alcohol in their system.
Prevention Efforts
Gun control
Gun control has been viewed from both a public health and political perspective. This is because it involves political elements such as legislation, constitutional rights, and policymaking. It has also ravished significant public health concerns for individuals, communities, and the population, begging the question – is gun violence a public health issue or a political matter?
It is worth noting that the perception from both lenses varies across different countries, depending on their specific social, cultural, and political contexts. The US, for instance, has the highest number of civilian firearms per capita with a gun ownership clause that reads,
“A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Although the US has less than 5% of the global population, it is home to 46% of civilian-owned guns globally.
Even though the law prohibits specific individuals (persons with DUI convictions, the mentally disabled, military personnel discharged dishonourably, persons under 18 years of age, and convicted felons) from purchasing guns, some laws, such as banning handguns, do not survive judicial review.
Canada, which closely follows firearm deaths and gun restrictions, has set amendable limits according to the territory or municipality of implementation. Moreover, the Montreal Massacre of 1989 opened the gateway to major gun reforms in the country, constituting training courses, waiting periods, background checks and bans on military-style and large-capacity firearms.
In Australia, the National Agreement on Firearms prohibits ownership of automatic and semiautomatic firearms, enforces licensing and registration, and a temporary buyback policy that recovered 650,000 assault weapons from the population.
Controlling alcohol deaths
While the issue of gun violence is one to do with enforcing policies on accessibility and use, alcohol, on the other hand, is freely available. A lot of attention is guided toward gun control negating the fact that alcohol is equally, if not more, harmful.
The truth of the matter is alcohol has caused more deaths than firearms. The only difference is that alcohol is a subtle killer while guns are lethal – perhaps the reason why gun control makes more noise than alcohol restriction.
Since the problem of alcoholism is multifactorial, efforts to prevent alcohol-related suicides/alcohol deaths and homicides require a comprehensive approach that will address mental health issues, firearm safety, and responsible alcohol consumption.
On a large scale, such initiatives might include holding community-based violence prevention campaigns, implementing stricter firearm laws, and enhancing access to mental health services.
Enforcement of alcohol control policies includes setting minimum drinking ages, heavy regulation on alcohol advertising, restrictions on hours and locations of alcohol sales, monopolizing alcohol retail services and imposing high taxes on alcoholic products.
While such policies exist in different countries, the degree of their implementation and effectiveness varies across regions.
The ripple effect of these legislations is to control overconsumption, availability and accessibility, as well as promote responsible drinking. Together with public health initiatives, community engagement, and personal responsibility, the legislation could significantly reduce the alcohol-related death toll in the next few years.
