Deaths of Despair, Latest Data
From the Trust for America's Health:
More than 150,000 Americans died from alcohol- and drug-induced causes and suicide in 2017 — more than twice as many as in 1999 — according to a new analysis by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT) of mortality data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
From 2016 to 2017, the combined death rate for alcohol, drug, and suicide increased
6 percent, from 43.9 to 46.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
While at historically high levels, the increase is lower than the prior two years, when there were 11 percent and 7 percent rises for 2015 to 2016 and 2014 to 2015, respectively.
The trends are worse for certain groups of Americans and in certain areas:
- Among those age 35-54, the rate ofdeath by alcohol, drug, and suicide was 72.4 per 100,000.
- For all males, the rate was 68.2 deaths per 100,000.
- Regionally, 91 West Virginia residents and 77 New Mexico residents per 100,000 died from alcohol, drugs, and suicide. On the low end, 31.5 Texas residents and 34.1 Mississippi residents per 100,000 died from alcohol, drugs, and suicide.
