--- title: Study: U.S. Drinking Habits Are Killing More Young People description: A BMJ study says deaths from cirrhosis and liver cancer are on the rise, with liver disease increases among young Americans particularly. canonical: https://time.com/5345069/liver-disease-deaths-study/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-07-21T17:45:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T20:55:02.712Z article:section: Health og:title: America's Drinking Habits Are Killing More Young People, Study Suggests og:description: Cirrhosis and liver cancer are getting more common across the board og:url: https://time.com/5345069/liver-disease-deaths-study/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0436b327eb7503d5/698935e3656a3fc189bd5045/alcohol-bottles.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4961 og:image:height: 2791 og:image:alt: Bottle of liquor og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: America's Drinking Habits Are Killing More Young People, Study Suggests twitter:description: Cirrhosis and liver cancer are getting more common across the board twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0436b327eb7503d5/698935e3656a3fc189bd5045/alcohol-bottles.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # America's Drinking Habits Are Killing More Young People, Study Suggests > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2a5c1452-4be8-4c4c-bdea-b2cdfa4481bc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2a5c1452-4be8-4c4c-bdea-b2cdfa4481bc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=2a5c1452-4be8-4c4c-bdea-b2cdfa4481bc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=2a5c1452-4be8-4c4c-bdea-b2cdfa4481bc&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jul 21, 2018 5:45 PM UTC  Tetra Images—Getty Images/Tetra images RF  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jul 21, 2018 5:45 PM UTC Liver disease deaths are growing more common in the U.S. and disproportionately affecting younger Americans, [according to a recent study](https://www.bmj.com/content/362/bmj.k2817). The paper, published in _The BMJ_ just a day after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [report on rising liver cancer death rates](http://time.com/5341053/liver-cancer-deaths/), paints a troubling picture of how [Americans’ drinking habits](http://time.com/4893108/alcohol-use-disorder-drinking/) may be affecting their health. While the new study couldn’t prove causation, the researchers say drinking is likely to blame for the growing number of adults aged 24 to 35 who are dying from cirrhosis, or scarring of the liver. The researchers used deaths logged in the CDC’s WONDER database between 1999 and 2016 to determine mortality trends during those 17 years. During that time period, more than 34,000 people died of cirrhosis, accounting for a 65% increase over the study period. Rates of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, also doubled, with more than 11,000 people dying of the disease. Although nearly every demographic saw increases in cirrhosis beginning in 2009, after a period of decline from 1999 to 2008, the trends were particularly stark among certain demographics. Younger Americans, for example, saw the largest increase in their cirrhosis death rate (10.5%), even though older age groups still experience more deaths overall. Cirrhosis now accounts for about 1.4% of deaths in the 24-35 age group, largely driven by this population’s drinking habits, according to the paper. A [separate study published this week](https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14659891.2018.1497101?journalCode=ijsu20) found that younger adults are at particularly high risk of starting and sustaining problem drinking habits. And _The BMJ_ study’s authors note that the cirrhosis mortality trend’s start in 2009 — just after the 2008 financial crisis — is in line with [research that has found](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1836409?dopt=Abstract) young men to be particularly susceptible to alcohol misuse after unemployment or financial strain. Native Americans, white Americans and Hispanic Americans have also seen significant increases in liver disease death rates since 1999, the paper says. Geographically, cirrhosis is growing particularly common in Kentucky, New Mexico, Arkansas, Indiana and Alabama. Liver cancer, meanwhile, is on the decline among younger Americans, and on the rise among those in older age groups, according to the study — a finding consistent with the CDC’s recent report. Liver cancer deaths were most common among Asians and Pacific Islanders, but that group was also the only one to see a slight dip in its death rate during the study period. The two recent reports add to a growing body of evidence that Americans’ drinking habits have grown increasingly problematic in recent years. A [March CDC report](http://time.com/5202859/binge-drinking-cdc-report/), for example, found that 17% of the U.S. population binge drinks, and a [February editorial](http://time.com/5138349/drugs-alcohol-suicide-life-expectancy/) also published in _The BMJ_ blamed alcohol misuse, along with drugs and suicide, for a recent [drop in U.S. life expectancy](http://time.com/5075569/life-expectancy-united-states/). “The increasing mortality due to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma speak to the expanding socioeconomic impact of liver disease,” the _BMJ_ authors write. “Adverse trends in liver related mortality are particularly unfortunate given that in most cases the liver disease is preventable.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5345069/liver-disease-deaths-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5345069/liver-disease-deaths-study/"},"headline":"America's Drinking Habits Are Killing More Young People, Study Suggests","datePublished":"2018-07-21T17:45:11.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T20:55:02.712Z","description":"Cirrhosis and liver cancer are getting more common across the board","url":"https://time.com/5345069/liver-disease-deaths-study/","keywords":["Research","onetime","healthytime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0436b327eb7503d5/698935e3656a3fc189bd5045/alcohol-bottles.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jamie Ducharme","jobTitle":"Ducharme is a contributor to TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0436b327eb7503d5/698935e3656a3fc189bd5045/alcohol-bottles.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Bottle of liquor","caption":"Bottle of liquor","creditText":"Tetra Images—Getty Images/Tetra images RF","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/research/","name":"Research"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5345069/liver-disease-deaths-study/","name":"America's Drinking Habits Are Killing More Young People, Study Suggests"}}]}] ```