Pubdate: Sat, 02 Jan 2016
Source: Boston Globe (MA)
Copyright: 2016 Globe Newspaper Company
Contact: http://services.bostonglobe.com/news/opeds/letter.aspx?id=6340
Website: http://bostonglobe.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/52
Author: Judy Foreman

DON'T IGNORE THE 30,700 DEATHS CAUSED BY ALCOHOL

ACCORDING TO federal data reported in the Washington Post, alcohol is 
killing Americans at rate not seen in 35 years. About 30,700 
Americans died from alcohol-induced causes such as alcohol poisoning 
and cirrhosis.

And that doesn't even count deaths from drunken driving, accidents, 
and homicides while under the influence. If included, this would 
bring the total to roughly 90,000 deaths.

In 2014, more people died from alcohol-related causes (30,722) than 
from overdoses of prescription painkillers and heroin combined 
(28,647), according to the latest government data. Other data suggest 
that more people in chronic pain commit suicide than those who die 
from prescription opioids.

Why doesn't the Globe's coverage of these public health issues reflect this?

Judy Foreman

Cambridge

Judy Foreman, former Globe health columnist, is the author of "A 
Nation in Pain: Healing Our Biggest Health Problem."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom