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Colorado doctor says rise in heavy drinking means more demand for liver transplants

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10min 10sec
Man removes bottle from liquor store wine display.
Kevin Beaty/CPR News
Dr. James Burton, who directs the University of Colorado School of Medicine’s liver transplant program, says primary care physicians aren’t always warning patients about the health risks of drinking alcohol.

People are drinking more than they did a decade ago and the pandemic only added fuel to the fire, according to one Colorado doctor who treats patients with advanced liver disease. He says physicians are seeing a growing number of patients who need liver transplants due to excessive drinking. And he says, part of the problem is people aren't always aware they're drinking too much.