Cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol, so once alcohol is in the bloodstream it can diffuse into nearly every cell in the body. This alphabetical list contains 644 people whose deaths can be reliably sourced to be the result of drug overdose or acute drug intoxication. Where sources indicate drug overdose or intoxication was only suspected to be the cause of death, this will be specified in the ‘notes’ column.
This list of unusual deaths includes unique or extremely rare circumstances of death recorded throughout the 19th century, noted as being unusual by multiple sources. The Andrew Johnson alcoholism debate is the dispute, originally conducted among the general public, and now typically a question for historians, about whether or not Andrew Johnson, the 17th president of the United States (1865–1869), drank to excess. New deaths articles are added to their respective month (e.g., Deaths in October 2025) and then linked below. Sportspeople who died during their careers are covered in lists by sport, and in the case of motorsports by location. This is an index of lists of people by cause of death, in alphabetical order of cause.
When a certain amount of alcohol had been bought, the owner of the booklet had to wait until next month to buy more. Alcohol also limits the production of vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone) from the hypothalamus and the secretion of this hormone from the posterior pituitary gland. It also causes a high concentration of water in the urine and vomit, and the intense thirst that goes along with a hangover.
List of deaths from drug overdose and intoxication
Short-term adverse effects include generalized impairment of neurocognitive function, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and symptoms of hangover. Alcohol is addictive and can result in alcohol use disorder, dependence, and withdrawal upon cessation. However, in 2023, the World Health Organization published a statement in The Lancet Public Health that concluded, “no safe amount of alcohol consumption for cancers and health can be established.”2122 In high amounts, alcohol may cause loss of consciousness or, in severe cases, death.
Common health-related illnesses that stem from AUD but are prevalent in African American communities are liver disease, cirrhosis, hypertension, heart disease, oral cancer, stroke, and more. In 2020, heart disease ranked number 3 in the leading cause list of deaths through alcohol wikipedia of death for African Americans ages 15–24.122 However, on the, contrary African Americans have been proven to consume less alcohol than other counterparts. According to American’s Health Rankings, 15.4% of blacks reported excessive drinking, 19.4% of Hispanics, 19.2% of whites and 16.9% of Native Americans.123 In the United States, social economic status affects, one’s ability to access basic necessities to support one’s health, life, and survival. If one has a higher socioeconomic status, their income is higher, they are able to support their living needs and have better access to healthcare. However, those with a lower socioeconomic status majority of minorities are less fortunate.
Ethanol is highly water-soluble and diffuses passively throughout the entire body, including the brain. One standard drink is sufficient to almost completely saturate the liver’s capacity to metabolize alcohol. Acetaldehyde is then further metabolized into ionic acetate by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
- Cell membranes are highly permeable to alcohol, so once alcohol is in the bloodstream it can diffuse into nearly every cell in the body.
- When a certain amount of alcohol had been bought, the owner of the booklet had to wait until next month to buy more.
- Because ethanol is mostly metabolized and consumed by the liver, chronic excessive use can lead to fatty liver.
- Acetate is not carcinogenic and has low toxicity,122 but has been implicated in causing hangovers.123124 Acetate is further broken down into carbon dioxide and water and eventually eliminated from the body through urine and breath.
Alcohol and Native Americans
Patients who are taking metronidazole are sometimes advised to avoid alcohol, even after 1 hour following the last dose. Although older data suggested a possible disulfiram-like effect of metronidazole, newer data has challenged this and suggests it does not actually have this effect. Acetaldehyde, is a DNA damaging metabolite that can interact with DNA to crosslink the two strands of the DNA duplex.47 The mechanisms the cells use for repairing these crosslinks are error prone,47 thus leading to mutations that in the long term can cause cancer.
Acetate is not carcinogenic and has low toxicity,122 but has been implicated in causing hangovers.123124 Acetate is further broken down into carbon dioxide and water and eventually eliminated from the body through urine and breath. This article lists notable people in alcohol-related deaths who died of short- or long-term effects of alcohol consumption. Deaths caused indirectly by alcohol, or driving under the influence, are not listed here. While alcohol is sometimes perceived as a way to manage stress or alleviate low mood, it can often disrupt neurotransmitter balance and worsen conditions like anxiety and depression in the long run.
Standard drink
- The nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages, was repealed by the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1933.
- New deaths articles are added to their respective month (e.g., Deaths in October 2025) and then linked below.
- In 2020, heart disease ranked number 3 in the leading cause of death for African Americans ages 15–24.122 However, on the, contrary African Americans have been proven to consume less alcohol than other counterparts.
- After binge drinking, unconsciousness can occur and extreme levels of consumption can lead to alcohol poisoning and death (a concentration in the blood stream of 0.40% will kill half of those affected29medical citation needed).
- This list of unusual deaths includes unique or extremely rare circumstances of death recorded throughout the 19th century, noted as being unusual by multiple sources.
The sugars are commonly obtained from sources like steeped cereal grains (e.g., barley), grape juice, and sugarcane products (e.g., molasses, sugarcane juice). Alcohol consumption is fully legal and available in most countries of the world.138 Home made alcoholic beverages with low alcohol content like wine, and beer is also legal in most countries, but distilling moonshine outside of a registered distillery remains illegal in most of them. Motor vehicle fatalities in the United States are reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The NHTSA only includes deaths that occur on public roads and excludes parking lots, driveways, and private roads.7 It also excludes indirect car-related fatalities. The Bratt System was a system that was used in Sweden (1919–1955) and similarly in Finland (1944–1970) to control alcohol consumption, by rationing of liquor. Every citizen allowed to consume alcohol was given a booklet called a motbok (viinakortti in Finland), in which a stamp was added each time a purchase was made at Systembolaget (in Sweden) and Alko (in Finland).136 A similar system also existed in Estonia between July 1, 1920, to December 31, 1925.137 The stamps were based on the amount of alcohol bought.
Pages in category “Lists of people by cause of death”
Where sources are able to indicate, deaths are specified as ‘suicide’, ‘accidental’, ‘undetermined’, or otherwise in the ’cause’ column. Where sources do not explicitly state intent, they will be listed in this column as ‘unknown’. Deaths from accidents or misadventure caused by drug overdoses or intoxication are also included on this list. Deaths from long-term effects of drugs, such as tobacco-related cancers and cirrhosis from alcohol, are not included, nor are deaths from lethal injection or legal euthanasia. Disulfiram inhibits the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, which in turn results in buildup of acetaldehyde, a toxic metabolite of ethanol with unpleasant effects. The medication or drug is commonly used to treat alcohol use disorder, and results in immediate hangover-like symptoms upon consumption of alcohol, this effect is widely known as disulfiram effect.
Although ethanol is the most prevalent alcohol in alcoholic beverages, alcoholic beverages contain several types of psychoactive alcohols, that are categorized as primary, secondary, or tertiary. Primary, and secondary alcohols, are oxidized to aldehydes, and ketones, respectively, while tertiary alcohols are generally resistant to oxidation.128 The Lucas test differentiates between primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohols. The tertiary alcohol tert-amyl alcohol (TAA), also known as 2-methylbutan-2-ol (2M2B), has a history of use as a hypnotic and anesthetic, as do other tertiary alcohols such as methylpentynol, ethchlorvynol, and chloralodol. After oral ingestion, ethanol is absorbed via the stomach and intestines into the bloodstream.
Cardiovascular disease
Many governmental agencies and organizations issue Alcohol consumption recommendations. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is defined as a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences.121 Excessive alcohol use can lead to health-related illness and continuous alcohol engagement can ultimately lead to death. Behavioral factors of AUD include binge drinking and heavy alcohol use throughout one’s day. AUD affects each culture differently, but African Americans are found to be the hardest impacted.
Adverse effects
The prohibition in the United States era was the period from 1920 to 1933 when the United States prohibited the production, importation, transportation, and sale of alcoholic beverages. The nationwide ban on alcoholic beverages, was repealed by the passage of the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1933. Ethanol is only one of several types of chemical alcohols, and has a variety of analogues. Most other alcohols are considered poisonous.14 In general, higher alcohols are less toxic.125 Alcoholic beverages are sometimes laced with toxic alcohols. Metronidazole is an antibacterial agent that kills bacteria by damaging cellular DNA and hence cellular function.97 Metronidazole is usually given to people who have diarrhea caused by Clostridioides difficile bacteria.