US alcohol deaths rose nearly 30% in first year of Covid, data shows

Figures show 13 alcohol-induced deaths per 100,000 Americans in 2020 – highest rate recorded in at least 40 years

The rate of deaths that can be directly attributed to alcohol rose nearly 30% in the US during the first year of the Covid pandemic, according to new government data.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had already said the overall number of such deaths rose in 2020 and 2021.