A new study reveals that the number of alcohol-related deaths in the United States rose by more than 25% between 2019 and 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, affecting almost every family.

According to research published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, 78,927 people died in the U.S. due to alcohol-related reasons in 2019. That number increased to 99,017 in 2020, an increase of 25.5%.

Co-authors including Aaron White, Jen Castle and Patricia Powell of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism compiled the report based on U.S. mortality data from the National Center for Health Statistics.

In a statement to CNN, White, the lead author, indicated that she and her colleagues are not surprised by the results.

Alcohol deaths rose 25% during first year of pandemic | U.S. News (christianpost.com)