Alcohol causes more deaths than traffic accidents

Federal Statistical Office: Four times more deaths from alcohol than traffic accidents

06/27/2014

Excessive alcohol consumption is a considerable health risk. In 2012, it claimed just under 15,000 lives, according to a statement by the Federal Statistical Office on the occasion of the International World Drug Day on Thursday. The statistics show the extent of the negative effects of alcohol consumption in our society. Overall, about four times as many people died as a result of excessive alcohol consumption, as in traffic accidents, reports the Federal Statistics Office.

In 2012, the Federal Statistical Office registered 14,551 deaths from excessive alcohol consumption. The main causes of death are included „Alcoholic liver disease (eg liver cirrhosis) with 8,319 cases as well as mental and behavioral disorders due to alcohol (eg due to the dependency syndrome) with 4,991 cases“ has been reported by the Federal Statistical Office. The overwhelming majority of deaths were men (10,922 deaths), while women died significantly less frequently as a result of excessive alcohol consumption (3,629 deaths).

According to the Federal Statistical Office, the legal drug alcohol has relatively drastic social consequences. The number of deaths attributable annually directly to the consequences of alcohol consumption is already considerable. In addition, there are serious alcohol-related illnesses, as well as injuries and deaths related to alcohol, but are not recorded as an immediate consequence. Overall, further efforts seem urgently needed to reduce alcohol consumption to a socially acceptable level. (Fp)