Americans Binge 17 Billion Drinks Per Year, CDC Says

This study shows that binge drinkers are consuming a huge number of drinks per year, greatly increasing their chances of harming themselves and others,” study co-author Dr. Robert Brewer, lead researcher in CDC’s alcohol program, said in a statement. “The findings also show the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to prevent binge drinking, focusing on reducing both the number of times people binge drink and the amount they drink when they binge.” While binge drinking was more common among younger adults age 18 to 34, more than half of the binge drinks consumed over the study period were by adults age 35 and older. Binge drinking was also much more common in men than women, with 4 out of 5 binge drinks consumed by males. Geographically, binge drinkers consumed the most alcohol in Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Hawaii, and the least in Washington, D.C., New Jersey, New York, and Washington state. Finally, binge dinking was more common in lower income households and among people with lower educational levels. For the report, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, researchers analyzed data on self-reported binge drinking during the past 30 days in a nationally representative study. The CDC warns of the dangers of binge drinking, including the increased likelihood of dangerous driving and risky sexual behavior. Excessive alcohol use is also associated with a higher risk of serious health problems such as cancer, heart ...
Source: WBZ-TV - Breaking News, Weather and Sports for Boston, Worcester and New Hampshire - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health News Alcohol Binge Drinking CDC Local TV talkers Source Type: news