MADISON, Wis. (WRN) — A new report finds alcohol induced deaths in Wisconsin are higher than the national average.
The Wisconsin Policy Forum report examined deaths defined by the Centers for Disease Control as “alcohol-induced” — directly attributable to excessive drinking such as alcohol poisoning and certain liver, neurological, digestive, or other diseases. That excludes many deaths to which alcohol use may have contributed, like motor vehicle crashes, falls, cancers, suicide, or violence.
Wisconsin recorded 1,076 alcohol-induced deaths in 2024 according to provisional CDC data, for a mortality rate was 18.2 per 100,000 residents. That’s down from the pandemic but well above levels dating back to 1999.
In addition, Wisconsin’s rate of alcohol-induced deaths has risen well above the national average. And the rate of alcohol-induced deaths among Black Wisconsinites that far exceeds that for all Black Americans.