Role of alcohol in forensic deaths--Westchester County, New York, 1989

In the United States, 58% of all adults consume alcohol, and death rates for most injuries and some diseases increase directly in relation to levels of consumption (1-3). Forensic deaths (i.e., deaths certified under the medical examiner system) include a substantial proportion of cases for which alcohol use may have contributed to the death; in many cases, this system provides detailed medical information on causes of death because of autopsies and blood alcohol level testing. To further characterize alcohol-related deaths in Westchester County (4,5), the New York Medical College (NYMC) and the Westchester County Department of Laboratories and Research (WCDLR) estimated the total alcohol-related mortality (ARM) and years of potential life lost before age 65 (YPLL) for all deaths certified by the medical examiner for Westchester County, New York, during 1989. This report summarizes the findings and addresses public health applications for estimating ARM employing this method.