One in six American adults is a binge drinker, consuming alcohol in excess about four times a month, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study — which defines binge drinking as five or more drinks in a short period of time for men and four or more for women — breaks down the nation’s 38 million binge drinkers by a variety of measures, including geography, age and income level. Wisconsin is the state with the most binge drinkers at 25 percent of the population, while Utah, home to the teetotaling Mormon church, comes in last at less than 11 percent.
“Binge drinking falls into a category of risky drinking,” Dr. Marc Galanter, director of the NYU School of Medicine’s Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, told The Daily. “As someone who treats people with alcohol problems, I’ve seen people start with binge drinking and carry on to more severe alcoholism.”
The CDC report noted that half of all alcohol consumed in the U.S. is consumed during binge drinking. For young people, that rate shoots up to 90 percent.
Binge drinking may be considered socially acceptable — to many, a fun night out at a bar. And many don’t see it as a sign of a serious drinking problem. Indeed, experts say less than 20 percent of binge drinkers would be medically diagnosed as alcoholics.
But health officials say binge drinking accounts for more than 40,000 deaths each year. It contributes to problems like violence and drunken-driving accidents and longer-term issues like cancer, heart disease and liver failure.
Other findings of the report:
• Binge drinking continues to be most common in men, people who have been to college, and those with incomes of $75,000 or more.
• Only about 4 percent of people 65 and older binge drink, far fewer than adults in other age groups. But they do it more often — five times a month, on average. Younger adults average closer to four episodes per month.
– With Associated Press
Justin.Silverman@thedaily.com
***Raisin a glass to ancient hangover cure
Asians have used fruit from the Hovenia dulcis, also known as the Oriental raisin tree, as a homeopathic hangover antidote for centuries. Now, a new study shows that dihydromyricetin, the fruit’s extract, might do more than soothe your aching head — it could be a revolutionary way to break the alcohol addiction cycle.
Although alcoholism, the most common form of substance abuse, affects more than 76 million people worldwide, only 13 percent of those afflicted get medical help, in part because there is currently no effective treatment that doesn’t come with problematic side effects.
The UCLA study found that, in rats, dihydromyricetin blocks the effect of alcohol on the brain, making you feel sober no matter how much you drink, in addition to reducing your desire for booze in the long term.
– Katie J.M. Baker