Alcohol-involved deaths increased by 25% in 2020 from 2019, according to research published Friday. From 1999-2017, the average year-over-year increase was only 2%. Previous studies found that alcohol consumption increased sharply in 2020 as well. In 2020, 99,017 people died from alcohol-related causes. In 2019, that number was only 78,927 people. “We’re not surprised. It’s unfortunate, but we sort of expected to see something like this,” the study’s lead author, Aaron White, told CNN. “It’s not uncommon for people to drink more when they’re under more duress.” The increase occurred across all…