Thursday, September 20, 2018

Excessive Alcohol Use and Suicide in Colorado

We know that excessive alcohol use such as binge drinking is a leading cause of impaired driving fatalities every year. Did you also know that it also plays a significant role in the Colorado suicide rate, which is consistently among the top 10 highest in the nation? Strategies that reduce excessive alcohol use also reduce injuries, violence, chronic disease, and preventable fatalities.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has released a new data report detailing how excessive alcohol use connects with suicide in Colorado.The report summarizes Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) among suicide decedents between 2011-2015. Key findings show that almost 1 in 3 suicide decedents had a BAC equal to or greater than 0.08 g/dL at the time of death. 

Many factors contribute to suicide, such as substance use, depression, and intimate partner problems and prevention requires a comprehensive approach to adequately address multiple risk factors. However, it is clear that reducing excessive drinking could also reduce suicide deaths in Colorado. 

To view the report, please visit this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W9wW49RJ84trGacpGq3Cz2ovLzyoumR-/view

For more information on how to reduce excessive alcohol use, please visit: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/alcohol.