Alcohol-related mortality in the United States, 1979-1988.

Using alcohol-attributable fractions derived from studies of alcohol's involvement in various causes of death, this report presents trends in overall alcohol-related mortality for each year from 1979 through 1988. Age-adjusted rates show decreases in alcohol-related mortality for both sexes and for whites and nonwhites. Decreases occur for causes of death directly attributable to alcohol and for other diseases and injuries and adverse effects indirectly attributable to alcohol. Issues surrounding the use of currently available alcohol-attributable fractions for estimating alcohol-related mortality are discussed.