In Tennessee, alcohol-related fatalities are climbing in line with a national trend, based on figures from the Tennessee Department of Health.

State data shows alcohol-attributable deaths in Tennessee increased more than 24% from 2019 to 2023.

According to Dr. Louis Lerebours of the Freeman Recovery Center, the center has experienced an increase in individuals seeking assistance for alcohol use disorder. He attributes this rise to factors like greater alcohol availability and the effects of the pandemic.

Lerebours explained, “The impact of COVID-19 led to more isolation, reduced healthcare access, increased stress, and different coping mechanisms, notably alcohol consumption and other substances.”

The issue is particularly severe among women. Recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlight a 255% surge in alcohol-related deaths among women aged 25 to 34 since 1999.

Lerebours noted that women have lower levels of an enzyme that aids in processing alcohol compared to men, and mentioned the “telescoping effect” as another significant factor.

He stated, “A comparable amount of alcohol consumed by a woman, versus a man, can lead to quicker organ damage and dependency.”

Beth McDonough, former TV news anchor and author, knows the problem well. She lost nearly everything due to alcohol, and later learned in recovery about the disproportionate impact of alcohol on women.

She wrote her book, “Standby,” to share her story.

“If people haven’t been to treatment, maybe they don’t know that women absorb alcohol more than men, so I wanted to be able to share all of this with people in a tangible way that might resonate with them, and here we are today,” McDonough said. “I want to show people that I’m inspiration in action, that even in the darkest time in your life, you can rewrite a chapter or two. It’s not the final word.” 

McDonough encourages people struggling to seek help and not to feel shame.

“Shame is what holds people back a lot from treatment,” McDonough said. “Even the Surgeon General has done a study about this, that 90% of people who need help that abuse substances, only 10% of them get the help, so I want to encourage people to become more a part of the 10 percent-ers.” 

For a list of addiction recovery resources, click here.