health and wellness
NIAAA: Deaths involving alcohol increased during the COVID-19 pandemic
The study showed a 22.4% increase in alcohol-related liver disease deaths, rising from 24,110 to 29,509, with the largest change seen in the 25-44 age group.
Last Updated on May 18, 2024 by Daily News Staff
BETHESDA /PRNewswire/ — Researchers at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) used the national death certificate database to assess changes in alcohol-related deaths during the first year of the pandemic. The results, published in JAMA, show that after increasing around 2.2% per year over the previous two decades, deaths involving alcohol jumped 25.5% between 2019 to 2020, totaling 99,107 deaths.1
The study showed that alcohol-associated liver disease deaths increased 22.4% (from 24,110 to 29,509) with the largest change occurring among people ages 25 to 44. The number of deaths involving a combination of alcohol and opioids increased by 40.8% (from 8,503 to 11,969), with deaths involving alcohol and synthetic opioids (e.g., fentanyl) increasing by 59.2% (from 6,302 to 10,032).1
Reasons for the unprecedented increase in alcohol-related deaths during the first year of the pandemic are still being explored. In 2020, the first year of the pandemic, sales of alcohol increased by 2.9%, the largest annual increase in over 50 years.2 For those who were drinking more during the pandemic, research suggests that stress, anxiety, and previous alcohol misuse are contributing factors.3,4,5,6
The increase in alcohol-related deaths appears to reflect a widespread increase in alcohol consumption and related harms. For example, research suggests that increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic has been associated with negative health outcomes such as increases in transplants for alcohol-associated liver disease,7 emergency department visits for alcohol withdrawal,8 and the percentage of emergency department visits that involved acute alcohol consumption.9 Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported a 14% increase in alcohol-related traffic fatalities in 2020 after decades of general decline.10
Researchers noted that deaths involving alcohol reflect hidden tolls of the pandemic. Increased drinking to cope with pandemic-related stressors, shifting alcohol policies, and disrupted treatment access are all possible contributing factors.
For more information, visit https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
References:
1 White, A. M.; Castle, I. P.; Powell, P. A.; Hingson, R. W.; Koob, G. F. Alcohol-Related Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA, 327(17), 1704–1706, 2022. PMID: 35302593
2 Slater, M.E.; Alpert, H.F. Surveillance Report #119: Apparent Per Capita Alcohol Consumption: National, State, and Regional Trends, 1977-2020. Sterling, VA: NIAAA, Division of Epidemiology and Prevention Research, April 2022. https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/surveillance119/CONS20.htm . Accessed June 30, 2022.
3 Acuff, S. F.; Strickland, J. C.; Tucker, J. A.; Murphy, J. G. Changes in alcohol use during COVID-19 and associations with contextual and individual difference variables: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 36(1), 1–19, 2022. PMID: 34807630
4 Capasso, A.; Jones, A. M.; Ali, S. H.; et al. Increased alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic: The effect of mental health and age in a cross-sectional sample of social media users in the U.S. Preventive medicine, 145, 106422, 2021. PMID: 33422577
5 Grossman, E. R.; Benjamin-Neelon, S. E.; Sonnenschein, S. Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adults. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(24), 9189, 2020. PMID: 33316978
6 Rodriguez, L. M.; Litt, D. M.; Stewart, S. H. Drinking to cope with the pandemic: The unique associations of COVID-19-related perceived threat and psychological distress to drinking behaviors in American men and women. Addictive behaviors, 110, 106532, 2020. PMID: 32652385
7 Cholankeril, G.; Goli, K.; Rana, A.; et al. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Liver Transplantation and Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease in the USA. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.), 74(6), 3316–3329, 2021. PMID: 34310738
8 Sharma, R. A.; Subedi, K.; Gbadebo, B. M.; et al. Alcohol Withdrawal Rates in Hospitalized Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA network open, 4(3), e210422, 2021. PMID: 33656526
9 Esser, M. B.; Idaikkadar, N.; Kite-Powell, A.; et al. Trends in emergency department visits related to acute alcohol consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, 2018-2020. Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 3, 100049, 2022. PMID: 35368619
10 National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Overview of Motor Vehicle Crashes in 2020. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Transportation, 2019. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813266. Accessed June 30, 2022.
SOURCE National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
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health and wellness
Millions of mobile gamers prize stress relief over winning
Mobile Gamers Prize Stress: In the school’s car pickup line, five minutes before it starts moving. In the doctor’s office waiting room for an appointment that you’ve been heavily anticipating. In bed, just before going to sleep. In these transitional moments, many people reach for their phones — not to scroll, but to play.
Millions of mobile gamers prize stress relief over winning
(Sheeka Sanahori) In the school’s car pickup line, five minutes before it starts moving. In the doctor’s office waiting room for an appointment that you’ve been heavily anticipating. In bed, just before going to sleep. In these transitional moments, many people reach for their phones — not to scroll, but to play.
According to a June 2026 survey of more than 128,000 KashKick mobile gamers, playing a mobile game is more than a way to pass the time. Stress relief and relaxation are the top reasons respondents play, beating out entertainment and fun. As KashKick reports, for many people, this means mobile games are less a simple distraction and more a coping mechanism for the daily stress of life.
A quick reset for life’s transitional moments
Most respondents identify as women, and 60% live in households that earn less than $50,000 per year. In the ranking of their reasons for playing, stress relief and relaxation topped the list, with boredom relief, entertainment and fun close behind.
The ranking reads less like a profile of a gaming hobby and more like a profile of a coping behavior.
More than half of the respondents play games daily or multiple times a day. When they reach for a mobile game, about 53% of the time it’s for a short session—usually 30 minutes or less. Where and when people play tells its own story: 58% play in bed before going to sleep and 40% play in the bathroom. These are private, solitary moments, not the times people typically plan entertainment into their day.
Coping with stress by gaming
To understand why respondents play games for stress relief more than for fun, it helps to look at who they are. Among those surveyed, 19% say they’re unemployed or looking for work, and 60% live in lower-income households. There are likely some areas of their life where they must make every dollar stretch to cover the things they need.
The survey findings coincide with research from the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Stress in America report. According to the report, 18% of men and 22% of women under age 65 rate their stress level at eight or higher on a scale of one to 10. Although the KashKick survey didn’t measure stress, respondents are mostly women and fall within the age and income groups the APA found to carry the most stress.
The APA’s report also describes loneliness as a major strain for Americans. The KashKick survey didn’t measure feelings of isolation, but 55% prefer to play alone, and 60% rarely or never discuss their gameplay with friends or family.
Overall, the survey identifies a group of people who have found a routine, low-cost approach to cope with stress. They’re not necessarily there to get the highest score. They’re playing a mobile game to help them navigate a day that, with all of life’s to-dos and challenges, could quickly feel overwhelming.
Methodology
The KashKick Gaming Habits Survey was fielded from June 8, 2026, through Aug. 10, 2026, among KashKick members in the United States who play mobile games. The Gaming Habits Survey was available to all members on KashKick’s Surveys page post-profile completion. The survey received 128,218 total responses, with question-level response counts ranging from approximately 109,793 to 128,218 depending on attrition. All findings describe KashKick mobile gamers and should not be interpreted as representative of U.S. mobile gamers overall. Industry and stress context references publicly available data from the American Psychological Association, Statista, and Newzoo.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
KashKick
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Child Health
Pediatric Cancer Goes Beyond a Victory Bell: How Research and Innovation Improve Survivorship Rates
(Feature Impact) For every tear-jerking video found online of a child ringing a bell that signifies a cancer journey victory, there are dozens, if not more, people working behind the scenes. From leading minds in cancer research to doctors, nurses and support staff, a vast network of people and decades of medical advancements make those moments possible.
In fact, in the last 10 years, the FDA approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. Those breakthroughs – and the children they impact – come with a cost, which is why Hyundai Hope on Wheels has served as a pioneer in increasing survival rates by investing $303 million in pediatric cancer research over nearly three decades.
Those funds have supported more than 1,600 grants to 210 institutions, leading to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials and new drug development while bringing hope at all stages of a child’s cancer journey.
However, there remains work to be accomplished. According to a survey conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of Hyundai Hope on Wheels, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that. In fact, more than one-third of respondents said they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard the term but don’t fully understand what it means.
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment, including planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy.
Survival rates continue increasing with scientific and technological breakthroughs, up from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing roughly 40,000 more children surviving their diagnoses. More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by that progress.
For survivors, treatment is just the beginning. Research, follow-up care and long-term funding determine what comes next, and every grant funded and every survivorship program backed means more children reaching adulthood.
According to the survey, more than 80% of adults said they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, creating opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer. Collaboration among leading minds, made possible by funding from organizations like Hyundai Hope on Wheels, has led to the development of comprehensive approaches to help children thrive during life after cancer, including enhanced medical records, AI integration, socioemotional support and combatting long-term side effects.
Find more information and ways you can join the fight by visiting HyundaiHopeOnWheels.org.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
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Child Health
A child rings the cancer bell. Here’s what that moment doesn’t show
Cancer Bell: A child who’s been treated for cancer walks down the hall of a medical facility, nurses and doctors smiling at them from all corners of the room. The child rings a bell, and everyone cheers as the kid hugs their loved ones. These heartfelt videos appear regularly across social media. What helps make each of those moments possible is decades of research and innovation. For every bell-ringing child whose video goes viral online, a longer health journey awaits.
A child rings the cancer bell. Here’s what that moment doesn’t show
(Sheeka Sanahon) A child who’s been treated for cancer walks down the hall of a medical facility, nurses and doctors smiling at them from all corners of the room. The child rings a bell, and everyone cheers as the kid hugs their loved ones. These heartfelt videos appear regularly across social media. What helps make each of those moments possible is decades of research and innovation. In the last 10 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 10 new immunotherapies and 20 molecularly targeted therapies to treat pediatric cancers, according to the American Association for Cancer Research.
For every bell-ringing child whose video goes viral online, a longer health journey awaits. Hyundai Hope on Wheels, which has funded pediatric cancer research for nearly three decades, commissioned a survey to understand how much Americans know about that journey.
As September marks Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, what that journey actually looks like is worth understanding. According to the survey, 46% of U.S. adults believe that a child ringing a hospital bell after cancer treatment signifies the child is cancer-free and their medical journey is largely over. The reality is more nuanced than that.
When cancer survivorship begins
Many health care organizations define survivorship as beginning at the time of diagnosis and continuing through treatment and beyond. Understanding survivorship this way helps recognize that a child’s cancer journey is about more than reaching the end of treatment. It also includes managing long-term physical, emotional and medical needs that may continue for years to come.
More than a third of U.S. adults say they’re not familiar with the term cancer survivorship or they have heard theterm but don’t fully understand what it means.
According to the American Association for Cancer Research, children who survive cancer face several long-term physical and psycho-social challenges due to their cancer and treatment. Children could face planned surgeries, additional rounds of radiation, or other forms of medical treatment to address common physical challenges stemming from chemotherapy. Every child’s medical treatment plan is different based on their specific needs, but one thing is clear: Pediatric cancer survivors need ongoing support as they navigate long-term health challenges.
Supporting children to live long, full lives
More than 3 in 4 U.S. adults are encouraged by the progress in pediatric cancer, up 5 points from last year. There’s good reason to be hopeful, too. According to the American Cancer Society, the survival rate among pediatric cancer patients has increased from 75% to 85% in nearly three decades, representing 40,000 more children surviving their cancer diagnosis.
Survival rates continue to increase thanks to breakthrough science and technology, and higher standards of care. Pediatric cancer research has led to new insights into cancer biology, clinical trials, and new drug development.
More than 8 in 10 adults say they’re more likely to support organizations that fund survivorship services, which creates more opportunities to fund crucial research and support for children facing pediatric cancer.
Methodology
Hyundai Hope on Wheels commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,005 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is +/- 3 percentage points with a confidence level of 95%. Fieldwork took place March 19-26, 2026. Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.
Photo courtesy of Shutterstock
SOURCE:
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