Keep it free for those who served

The cost of waiting

Alcohol and drugs take a staggering toll in the United States every year. Enter the year you were born to see the estimated scale of loss across your lifetime, and so far this year.

Every number is a person. Estimates use recent CDC figures: about 178,000 deaths a year from excessive alcohol use (2020–2021 average) and about 80,000 drug overdose deaths (2024). Applying today's annual toll across each year of a life is an illustration of scale, not a precise historical count. If you are struggling, call or text 988, then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line.