Binge Drinking: Nationwide Problem, Local Solutions

Binge drinking accounts for more than half of the estimated 80,000 average annual deaths and three quarters of $223.5 billion in economic costs resulting from excessive alcohol consumption in the United States. CDC analyzed data collected in 2010 on the prevalence of binge drinking (defined as four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on an occasion during the past 30 days) among U.S. adults aged ≥18 years in 48 states and the District of Columbia; and on the frequency (average number of episodes per month) and intensity (average largest number of drinks consumed on occasion) among binge drinkers.

• Binge drinking is about more than just the number of binge drinkers. The amount and number of times binge drinkers drink are also important to address.
  • Age group with most binge drinkers: 18-34 years
  • Age group that binge drinks most often: 65+ years
  • Income group with most binge drinkers: more than $75,000
  • Income group that binge drinks the most often and drinks most per binge: less than $25,000
• Most alcohol-impaired drivers binge drink.
• Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics.
• More than half of the alcohol adults drink is while binge drinking.
• More than 90% of the alcohol youth drink is while binge drinking.

Everyone can help prevent binge drinking.

States and communities can:

• Implement effective community strategies to prevent binge drinking such as those recommended by the Community Guide.
• Routinely track and report how many people binge drink, how often, and how much they drink when they binge.
• Develop community coalitions that build partnerships among schools, community- and faith-based organizations, law enforcement, health care, and public health agencies to reduce binge drinking.

Doctors, nurses, and other providers can:

• Recognize that drinking too much causes 80,000 deaths in the US each year and contributes to over 54 different injuries and diseases.
• Recognize that most binge drinkers are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics.
• Support effective community strategies to prevent binge drinking such as those recommended by the Community Guide.
• Screen patients for binge drinking and advise those who do to reduce their use. Read the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force -- Screening and Behavioral Counseling Interventions in Primary Care to Reduce Alcohol Misuse.

Download the CDC factsheet on Binge Drinking (pdf). Read the CDC Report Vital Signs: Binge Drinking Prevalence, Frequency, and Intensity Among Adults — United States, 2010.

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