the author is kara swisher. kara, thank you so much. great to talk to you. kara: thank you. ♪ geoff: one of the most commonly used drugs in the u.s. is also the deadliest, alcohol. over the last 20 years, more and more americans have died from alcohol-related causes. and a new study reveals those deaths have surged recently. william brangham takes a closer look. william: the cdc issued this new report, and it looks at both deaths directly tied to alcohol like cirrhosis of the liver as well as indirect death, like certain injuries and kinds of cancers. it found that in just five years, alcohol-related deaths rose by 29%. by 2021, alcohol contributed to the deaths of more than 178,000 americans that year. that's about 500 people a day, lost, because of consuming wine, beer or other alcohol. for a broader look at these findings we're joined again by keith humphreys, he's a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at stanford university. very good to have you back on the newshour. were you surprised? this was your field of study. were you surprised by h