An estimated 88,000 people (approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women1) die from alcohol-related causes annually, making alcohol the fourth leading preventable cause of death in the United States. 2 In 2013, of the 72,559 liver disease deaths among individuals ages 12 and older, 45.8 percent involved alcohol. 3

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Rich battled alcoholism and depression for many years. It affected many aspects of his life: his family, his relationships, and his health. We are heartbroken that this disease has taken him from this world, and our lives. We regret all of the things he will not do, and everything he will miss. 

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If you or someone that you know is battling this tragic disease, we urge you to seek help. Alcoholics Anonymous is a great place to start. For the family and friends of those suffering from alcoholism, check out Al-Anon.

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1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alcohol and Public Health: Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (ARDI). Average for United States 2006–2010 Alcohol-Attributable Deaths Due to Excessive Alcohol Use. Available at: https://nccd.cdc.gov/DPH_ARDI/Default/Report.aspx?T=AAM&P=f6d7eda7-036e-4553-9968-9b17ffad620e&R=d7a9b303-48e9-4440-bf47-070a4827e1fd&M=8E1C5233-5640-4EE8-9247-1ECA7DA325B9&F=&D=. Accessed 1/18/17.

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2 Mokdad, A.H.; Marks, J.S.; Stroup, D.F.; and Gerberding, J.L. Actual causes of death in the United States 2000. [Published erratum in: JAMA 293(3):293–294, 298] JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 291(10):1238–1245, 2004. PMID: 15010446

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Estimated liver disease deaths include deaths with the underlying cause of death coded as alcoholic liver disease (K70), liver cirrhosis, unspecified (K74.3–K74.6, K76.0, K76.9), liver cancer (C22), or other liver diseases (K71, K72, K73, K74.0–K74.2, K75, and K76.1–K76.8). Number of deaths from Multiple Cause of Death Public-Use Data File, 2013 (http://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd.html). Alcohol-attributable fractions (AAFs) from CDC Alcohol-Related Disease Impact (http://nccd.cdc.gov/DPH_ARDI/Default/Default.aspx, Accessed 9/19/16). Prevalence of alcohol consumption from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2013, for estimating indirect AAFs for liver cancer.

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