Alcohol epidemic claims nearly 500 U.S. lives daily, exposing systemic public-health failures

The investigative series "The Deadliest Drug" surveyed more than 100 health researchers, clinicians, patients, industry insiders and lawmakers, and examined scientific literature, treatment protocols, laws and lobbying records to document the U.S. alcohol crisis.

The authors report that alcohol kills roughly 500 Americans each day, resulting in more annual deaths than all infectious diseases combined.

Despite this toll, the series notes that alcohol is not classified as a public‑health emergency, and that medical, governmental and industry responses have fallen short of addressing the epidemic.

The report calls for a coordinated effort to treat alcohol misuse as a major public‑health issue and to implement stronger prevention and treatment measures.