This Legal Drug Is Killing More Americans Than Fentanyl — And No One’s Talking About It
The article highlights a serious but often overlooked public health crisis in the United States: alcohol is killing more Americans each year than fentanyl and all other illegal drugs combined. Even though fentanyl and opioid overdoses receive a lot of media attention and government response, alcohol remains widely accepted, easily accessible, and socially encouraged. This contrast shows how society often overlooks dangers when a substance is legal and normalized.
According to CDC data, alcohol is responsible for around 178,000 deaths every year—which is nearly double the number of opioid-related deaths. That means almost 500 people die every day due to alcohol, the equivalent of a large airplane crashing daily with no survivors.
These deaths come in multiple forms.
Some are sudden, such as alcohol poisoning, where a person’s breathing and heart rate shut down.
But most alcohol-related deaths happen slowly over time, through chronic health damage like liver failure, heart disease, cancer, or stroke.
Alcohol also contributes to many accidents, violence, suicides, and drunk driving deaths, spreading harm beyond the drinker to families and communities.
The article also explains that the reason this issue receives less attention is because alcohol is legal and deeply rooted in culture.
Alcohol is associated with celebrations, sports events, relaxation, and social bonding. Advertisements present drinking as fun, enjoyable, and normal. Because of this, many people don’t think of alcohol as a dangerous drug, even though it can be more lethal than many illegal substances.
In addition, death certificates often list the immediate cause like “heart failure” or “car accident,” rather than alcohol as the underlying factor, making the problem less visible in statistics.
There is also a concern about teenagers. Many teens start drinking early, and those who begin before age 15 are at a much higher risk of developing alcohol addiction later in life. The fact that alcohol-related harms are rising while opioid deaths have slightly declined shows the importance of awareness and prevention.
Overall, this article encourages us to rethink how we view alcohol. Legal does not mean safe. The article challenges society to recognize alcohol as a powerful and potentially deadly drug that deserves more public attention, healthcare support, and open conversation.
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