Are you an alcoholic? Slow down your intake,it’s not just alcohol it increases mortality rate.

A beer, glass of wine or cocktail may feel so common place that you don’t even think about pouring another, but a new study suggested it may be important for everyone to be mindful of their alcohol use.For instance, an estimated 1 in 5 deaths of people ages 20 to 49 were attributable to excessive alcohol use in the United States. For people ages 20 to 64, drinking-related deaths accounted for 1 in 8.

The percentage of deaths attributed to alcohol use varied state by state, but nationally it’s a leading cause of preventable death, said lead study author Dr. Marissa Esser, who leads the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s alcohol program.Researchers took national and state mortality data from 2015 to 2019 and looked at deaths either fully or partially attributable to excessive drinking. Those causes of death included vehicle accidents, alcohol poisoning and other health impacts, such as liver disease.
“I’m not surprised at the numbers,” said David Jernigan, a professor of health law, policy and management at Boston University. “This is a conservative estimate.”

On an individual level, Esser suggested that people could try to stop or limit alcohol consumption.The CDC defines moderate drinking as two drinks or less in a day for men or one drink or less in a day for women. Two-thirds of adults report drinking more than moderate amounts at least once a month, the organization added.The CDC also estimates that 1 in 6 adults binge drink — defined as consuming four or more drinks on an occasion for a woman or five or more drinks on an occasion for a man — with a quarter of those doing so at least weekly.

Reducing drinking can have a similar effect as dieting – the more you tell yourself you can’t have it, the more you want it, starting with one less drink than you would usually have at each occasion or breaking a daily habit by limiting drinking to certain days. You can also have a sparkling water in between drinks or make weaker cocktails than usual to reduce your alcohol consumption, she said previously.

And if you are overcoming a social pressure to drink, remember that people may make you feel bad because they are uncomfortable about their own relationship with drinking.It often helps to have a nonalcoholic drink in your hand at social events, so the offer to have a drink doesn’t even come up,Always remember to slow down your body’s alcohol intake by eating while drinking, alternate alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks and planning alcohol-free days.

Article By Suzy Nyongesa.