Binge drinking - the social sport typically reserved for college campuses - may be more rampant throughout the United States than most of us would expect.
The Center for Disease Control recently released a report finding that more than 38 million adults binge drink alcohol about four times a month, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Although the stereotype that college kids like to binge drink may be true with more young people admitting to the activity, the report found that older people who binge drink do it more often.
The report defines binge drinking as having at least four or five drinks (depending on your gender) at one time. The average highest number of drinks, on average, was eight.
The report also states that frequency and intensity of the binge may be determined by income. Those who made more than $75,000 or more binge drank more often, while those who made less than $25,000 consumed the highest number of drinks on average.
The activity is not concentrated in one geographic location, either. The areas with the most binge drinking activity hit all corners of the country, from Hawaii to New England to Alaska.
Although the report noted that most binge drinkers are - surprisingly - not dependent on alcohol, the health risks of binge drinking are serious. These include an increased risk of suicide and car wrecks.
Perhaps it shouldn't be so surprising that binge drinking is such a problem in the U.S. With products like Pabst Brewing Company's Blast, which has been nicknamed "binge in a can," the culture of drinking excessively has become an accepted pastime.
Driving safety should be a top concern in areas where binge drinking is an issue. From the CDC's report, it looks like that may be everywhere.
Related Resources:
- Find a Los Angeles DUI Attorney (FindLaw)
- California DUI Laws (FindLaw)
- Binge Drinking: Risky and Widespread (NPR)
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