The number of deaths related to excessive alcohol surged amid the stress and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual average number of deaths stemming from alcohol use jumped 29%, to 178,000 from 138,000, between 2016-2017 and 2020-2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed last month.
At the height of the coronavirus pandemic, that was about 488 deaths per day, the data showed.
Two-thirds of those fatalities were from long-term conditions such as liver disease and other complications from long-term alcohol abuse.
The remaining third stemmed from vehicle accidents, poisonings and other incidents that emerged from excessive drinking on one particular occasion.
Excessive drinking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States, according to the CDC.
More than 8,050 New Yorkers die from alcohol abuse each year, the agency said.