Those who report the cause of death frequently report incorrectly, based on how they feel about social issues. Two relatives, both terrible alcoholics, both fell and were found dead (I suspect due to massive organ shut-down from the fall trauma to their already disintegrating bodies)…
Both were also smokers, and their death certificates showed smoking as a cause of death.
While I am sure smoking was not good for them, the alcoholism was much more the culprit. But not on the death certificates, so not in the collected statistics...
I once discussed that very thing with my BIL who was an Oncologist and had signed many, many death certs. over the years.
He said no doctor should ever put that as the cause of death since it's unverifiable. You put the actual cause such as pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, heart attack, liver failure or some other such terminal illness.....