According to CDC researchers, 700 more poeple died in alcohol-related crashes in 2000 than the previous year. The number of traffic deaths rose by 4 percent for those with a 0.10 percent blood-alcohol concentration -- the legal limit for alcohol consumption in most states -- and 7 percent among those who had been drinking but were not over the legal alcohol limit.

"There have been no obvious changes that would lead one to expect an increase in alcohol-related crashes," said Randy Elder of the CDC. "Many factors can affect the number of crashes, and it is difficult to specifically identify what is responsible for changes from one year to the next."

This is the first increase in alcohol-related fatalities since 1995. "We'll need a broad range of public-health strategies to stem further increases and reduce the number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities," said Elder.

The report is published in the Nov. 30 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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