Did you know alcohol use leads to thousands of emergency room visits and deaths in North Carolina each year?
Drinking too much alcohol can harm your health now and later. The less alcohol you drink, the better it is for your health. Excessive drinking can lead to injuries, illnesses and even death.
In 2023, alcohol use in NC led to more than:
- 5,800 deaths
- 66,000 emergency room visits
- $15 billion in costs to the state
These are some of the highest numbers North Carolina has ever had related to alcohol.
Get Help Now
- Check your drinking – use this tool from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to check your alcohol use. You can also build a personalized plan to drink less.
- Talk with your health care provider if you have concerns about your drinking. Don’t have a provider? Find your local health department.
- Find treatment for alcohol and other substance use issues.
New Tools to Understand the Problem in NC
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) has launched a new online data tool. The "North Carolina Alcohol and Related Harms Data" dashboard shows data about alcohol use and the harms it causes. You can look at data for the entire state or by county. This helps you understand how alcohol is affecting your community.
NCDHHS also has a new prevention page called "North Carolina Alcohol Use and Related Harms Prevention." It gives strategies that help reduce drinking and its harmful effects. You’ll also find links to helpful resources.
Alcohol Access and Reducing Harms
Alcohol use is an important health issue. When alcohol is easy to get and cheap, people tend to drink more, and alcohol harms increase.
But strong state and local policies can help reduce these harms. To learn more about the alcohol policies that protect your health, see Reducing Excessive Alcohol Use to Build Healthier North Carolina Communities.
What is the Alcohol Environment?
The alcohol environment is everything that affects how easy it is to get alcohol. This includes:
- Where it’s sold
- How much it costs
- What kinds of drinks are available
- How it’s advertised
These are called the 4 Ps of Alcohol Access: Place, Price, Product and Promotion.
Learn more: The Alcohol Environment and 4 Ps of Alcohol Access
North Carolina’s Role
North Carolina regulates how alcohol is sold and distributed. This means the government helps decide where and how alcohol is sold.
This helps:
- Limit how many places sell alcohol
- Reduce alcohol-related problems
- Keep drinking levels lower than in states with private alcohol sales
By managing where, how and what alcohol is sold, North Carolina helps protect people and makes communities safer.
Learn more about alcohol control: NC Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission
Resources for Partners and Communities
- Alcohol-Related Harms Surveillance Slides – Learn more about alcohol use, the harm it causes and prevention in NC
- North Carolina Alcohol Social Districts (PDF) – See how social districts affect health in North Carolina.
Ask us: Submit a request for specific alcohol data, or set a time to talk with an expert about alcohol data or prevention efforts.