MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — South Dakota recorded the nation’s second-largest percentage increase in its alcohol-induced death rate over a nine-year period, according to an analysis published by Lantana Recovery.
The state’s age-adjusted rate rose from 18.2 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2015 to 34.6 in 2024, an increase of approximately 90.1%. Only Mississippi had a larger percentage increase.
During the same period, South Dakota’s alcohol-impaired road fatality rate fell from 5.05 deaths per 100,000 residents to 4.64, a decline of about 8.1%. The analysis ranked South Dakota 14th for the largest percentage decrease in that measure.
Despite that decline, South Dakota had the highest overall Alcohol Harm Index score at 81.8 among the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The index combines death rates and changes over time; it is a relative score, not a percentage or a clinical assessment.
Published Sept. 2, the analysis uses 2024 federal mortality, traffic safety and treatment data. Alcohol-induced mortality figures cover alcohol-specific underlying causes and exclude traffic deaths.
In comments accompanying the findings, Lindsay Richerson, Lantana Recovery’s chief operating officer, emphasized early support, accessible treatment and connections to mental health care.
The findings cover South Dakota statewide and do not establish a separate death rate or ranking for Mitchell or Davison County.
If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol use, help is available. Contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential information and treatment referrals, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Treatment options can also be found at FindTreatment.gov.