America's hidden alcohol epidemic: Data dive reveals costly toll | STAT
Skip to Main Content
My Account
A decade of reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine
Search
Log In
Try STAT+
My Account
News
Latest
Series & Investigations
Business
Biotech
Pharma
Health Tech
Health Insurance
Hospitals
Medical Devices
Washington
Policy
FDA
NIH
Science
CRISPR
Gene Therapy
Neuroscience
Public Health
Addiction
Covid-19
Abortion
Health Disparities
Infectious Disease
Mental Health
Disease
Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease
Chronic Disease
Diabetes
Alzheimer's
Obesity
Features
Health Care Costs
The Deadliest Drug
Science, Shattered
Newsletters
Opinion
Columns
Adam Feuerstein
Matthew Herper
Ed Silverman
Reports
E-books
Podcasts
Tools & Trackers
CRISPR Tracker
Breakthrough Device Tracker
Generative AI Tracker
Obesity Drug Tracker
Events
Upcoming Events
Summits
Community
STAT Wunderkinds 2026
Video
Advertise
STAT Brand Studio
What's the word?<br>Test your knowledge with our new weekday mini crossword
Start solving
STAT Plus<br>The Deadliest Drug
10 charts that explain America’s hidden alcohol epidemic
From increased strain on ERs to recent trends in alcohol use, see the data behind STAT’s series
Manage alerts for this article
Email this article
Share this article
Julia Bujalski/STAT
By J. Emory Parker, Lev Facher, and Isabella Cueto<br>July 14, 2026
J. Emory Parker<br>[email protected]
Emory is the data editor at STAT. He’s a data journalist with a background in bioinformatics and molecular biology. You can reach Emory on Signal at jaspar.01.
Lev Facher<br>[email protected]
Lev’s reporting has explored Americans’ deadly hostility to addiction medications, subpar treatment offered in jails and prisons, shifts in the illicit drug supply and consumption behavior, controversies surrounding harm reduction, and recent innovations in addiction medicine. You can reach him on Signal at levfacher.51.
Isabella Cueto
[email protected]
Isabella is a chronic disease reporter writing about how the Trump administration is tackling the nation’s health epidemic — or not. You can reach her on Signal at isabellacueto.03.
“The Deadliest Drug,” a multipart series by STAT, spotlights an epidemic hidden in plain sight: excessive alcohol use. Alcohol kills more Americans each year than all illicit drugs combined, and yet health officials, industry leaders, and the public rarely focus on it. STAT reporters Isabella Cueto and Lev Facher examined the epidemic’s human cost and the complex causes — from personal to political — of the most harmful substance use crisis in the U.S. STAT data editor J. Emory Parker amplified many of the findings in data-rich charts.
These charts capture the toll, emerging risks, shifting usage, and economic stakes of America’s relationship to alcohol.<br>Advertisement
1. Alcohol-related emergency department visits nearly doubled in the U.S. between 2003 and 2022
Drinking-related adverse events, including emergency room visits, have soared in recent decades. American emergency rooms recorded roughly 5.4 million visits due to alcohol in 2022, and in many states, alcohol-related hospitalizations dwarf those stemming from other substances, like opioids.
STAT+ Exclusive Story
Already have an account? Log in
This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers
Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.
Already have an account? Log in
Individual plans
Group plans
Monthly
$39
Totals $468 per year
$39/month<br>Get Started<br>Totals $468 per year
Starter
$30
for 3 months, then $399/year
$30 for 3 months<br>Get Started<br>Then $399/year
Annual
$399
Save 15%
$399/year<br>Get Started<br>Save 15%
11+ Users
Custom
Savings start at 25%!
Request A Quote<br>Request A Quote<br>Savings start at 25%!
2-10 Users
$300
Annually per user
$300/year<br>Get Started<br>$300 Annually per user
View All Plans
To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+.
Subscribe
Log In
addiction, chronic diseases, HHS, Policy, public health, STAT
Submit a correction requestReprints
J. Emory Parker
Data Editor
Emory is the data editor at STAT. He’s a data journalist with a background in bioinformatics and molecular biology. You can reach Emory on Signal at jaspar.01.
Lev Facher
Addiction Reporter
Lev’s reporting has explored Americans’ deadly hostility to addiction medications, subpar treatment offered in jails and prisons, shifts in the illicit drug supply and consumption behavior, controversies surrounding harm reduction, and recent innovations in addiction medicine. You can reach him on Signal at levfacher.51.
Isabella Cueto
Chronic Disease Reporter
Isabella is a chronic disease reporter writing about how the Trump administration is tackling the nation’s health epidemic — or not. You can reach her on Signal at isabellacueto.03.
Newsletter
Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day
Please enter a valid...