Heavy drinking accounts for a fifth of deaths in Americans aged 20 to 49, study shows

The causes of death considered in the study included liver disease, vehicular accidents and alcohol poisoning

Heavy drinking is now the leading cause of preventable death in America, a study has found.

The findings, obtained in a study by the JAMA Network Open and first reported by CNN, indicate that one in five deaths in adults aged 20 to 49 in the US can be fully or partially attributed to heavy drinking.

The causes of death considered in the study included liver disease, vehicular accidents and alcohol poisoning, among other health ailments resulting from excessive alcohol consumption. David Jernigan, a health law professor at Boston University told CNN that the estimate by JAMA Network is conservative.

“It doesn’t get anywhere near the attention that it should,” Mr Jenergan warned. “The bottom line is (researchers) continue to show that excessive alcohol use is a big problem in the US.”

The study found that 694,660 people, of which 15 per cent were men and 9.4 per cent were women, between the ages of 20 and 64 died due to excessive alcohol consumption.

New Mexico was the state with the most alcohol-attributed deaths ages 20 to 64 during that time period at 21.7 per cent.

“These premature deaths could be reduced through increased implementation of evidence-based alcohol policies (eg, increasing alcohol taxes, regulating alcohol outlet density), and alcohol screening and brief intervention,” the report concluded.

According to the CDC, one in six adults self-indulge in alcohol on occasion. A quarter does so at least once a week.

Experts interviewed by CNN advised local governments to introduce legislation that leads to a decrease in drinking. Individuals can also attempt to gradually reduce their alcohol consumption by designating a day in the week that they’re allowed to drink, dietitian Natalie Mokari told the network.

Eating while drinking may also lessen the level of intoxication.

And a clever tip to follow at social events, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism director Aaron White told CNN, is to have a non-alcoholic drink on hand at all times, so others don’t feel inclined to offer alcohol.