New Mexico leads the nation when it comes to deaths related to excessive alcohol use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found in a recent study that New Mexico experienced more deaths per capita that were attributable to alcohol. The rate of 51 deaths per 100,000 people was more than any other state.
Nationally, the study found excessive drinking led to about 88,000 deaths per year from 2006 to 2010 and shortened the lives of those who died by about 30 years.
The state Department of Health's alcohol epidemiologist, Laura Tomedi, says New Mexico has had a long struggle with alcohol and has led the nation for nearly two decades.
Tomedi says that alcohol stands out when it comes to preventable causes of death.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, http://www.sfnewmexican.com
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