A new study published last week finds that one in eight American adults qualifies as having a drinking disorder.
According to the study published in JAMA Psychiatry, the rate of alcohol use disorder in the country rose nearly 50% from 2001 to 2013, the Washington Post reports.
Currently, 12.7% of Americans meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder, which include whether booze interferes with individuals' jobs or family life and whether they struggle to stop.The 12.7% includes people who suffer from alcohol abuse and less severe alcohol dependence. The report's authors describe the results as a "public health crisis" that mirrors an increase in diseases and injuries "in which alcohol use has a substantial role," including cirrhosis and hypertension. The CDC estimates that excessive alcohol use leads to 88,000 American deaths a year.
Read the full story on Newser.com
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