Alcohol-Involved Deaths Climbing: A Public Health Perspective in Iowa Think Before You Drink Media Campaign

Alcohol-involved deaths are a serious public health problem in Iowa, increasing from 388 in 2008 to 650 in 2017. From 2008-2017, the average annual number of alcohol-involved deaths in Iowa was 505 (Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), 2017). According to the World Health Organization (2018), 3 million deaths occur globally each year as a result of the harmful use of alcohol. In the U.S. in 2010, an estimated 70,000 people died from alcohol use, making alcohol use the third leading cause of premature deaths (McGinnis, 2013). The first and second leading causes of preventable factors causing premature deaths in the U.S. were diet/inactivity (400,000) and tobacco use (350,000), respectively (McGinnis, 2013).

The rate of alcohol-involved deaths has increased in Iowa significantly over the past 10 years, from a rate of 13 per 100,000 population in 2008 to 21 per 100,000 population in 2017. The rate of alcohol-involved deaths increased by more than 61%.  In Iowa, alcohol-involved deaths are prevalent among Iowans aged 45 to 64, and 65 or older. From 2008 to 2017, alcohol-involved deaths increased by 45% among Iowans aged 65 or older, and 75% among Iowans aged 45 to 64. In 2017, the rate of alcohol involved deaths was 45 per 100,000 population for Iowans aged 65 or older, and 42 per 100,000 population for Iowans aged 45 to 64.  In 2017, there were 330 deaths from motor vehicle crashes in Iowa. Of these 330 crash deaths, 88 (27%) involved at least one driver with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .08 g/dL or higher, which is above the legal intoxication level (FARS, 2017). 

Iowa Department of Public Health has created a new media campaign that the Van Buren County SAFE Coalition is utilizing to help educate community members on the need to Think Before You Drink.  As you age, your body cannot process alcohol like it used to.  The coalition will be utilizing the campaign as ads in the newspaper, an ad on the billboard in Keosauqua, and posters at the hospital and clinics.

For more information about prevention and treatment resources in Iowa, please visit the IDPH Substance Abuse Prevention website at https://idph.iowa.gov/substance-abuse/prevention or Your Life Iowa at http://www.yourlifeiowa.org/.

References

·         McGinnis, J.M. (2013). Actual causes of death, 1990–2010. Presentation at the Workshop on Determinants of Premature Mortality, September 18, National Research Council, Washington, DC. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279971/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK279971.pdf

·         World Health Organization. (2018). Alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol

Sources

·         Fatality Analysis Reporting System. (2008-2017).                                                                             Website: https://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/States/StatesAlcohol.aspx

·         Iowa Department of Public Health. (2008-2017).                                                                       Website: https://tracking.idph.iowa.gov/Health/Substance-Use-and-Misuse/Substance-Involved-Mortality-Data