I found some interesting information about binge drinking on the CDC website.
Binge drinking is the most common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours.
Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.
According to national surveys
One in six U.S. adults binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about eight drinks per binge.
While binge drinking is more common among young adults aged 18–34 years, binge drinkers aged 65 years and older report binge drinking more often—an average of five to six times a month.
Binge drinking is more common among those with household incomes of $75,000 or more than among those with lower incomes.
Approximately 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the past 30 days.4
Although college students commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes involve adults age 26 years and older.
The prevalence of binge drinking among men is twice the prevalence among women.
Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving than non-binge drinkers.
About 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
More than half of the alcohol consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including—
Unintentional injuries (e.g., car crashes, falls, burns, drowning)
Intentional injuries (e.g., firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence)
Alcohol poisoning
Sexually transmitted diseases
Unintended pregnancy
Children born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases
Liver disease
Neurological damage
Sexual dysfunction, and
Poor control of diabetes.
Binge drinking costs everyone.
Drinking too much, including binge drinking, cost the United States $249 billion in 2010, or $2.05 a drink, from losses in productivity, health care, crime, and other expenses. Binge drinking was responsible for 77% of these costs, or $191 billion.
Evidence-based interventions to prevent binge drinking and related harms include
Increasing alcoholic beverage costs and excise taxes.
Limiting the number of retail alcohol outlets that sell alcoholic beverages in a given area.
Holding alcohol retailers responsible for the harms caused by their underage or intoxicated patrons (dram shop liability).
Restricting access to alcohol by maintaining limits on the days and hours of alcohol retail sales.
Consistent enforcement of laws against underage drinking and alcohol-impaired driving.
Maintaining government controls on alcohol sales (avoiding privatization).
Screening and counseling for alcohol misuse.
Please call North Buckhead Driving and DUI School at (678) 510-2099 if you would like to schedule or visit our website at www.northbuckheaddrivingandduischool.com. We are a leading Atlanta DUI School with weekly DUI / Risk Reduction Classes as well as Defensive Driving Classes. You can sign up by calling our office at (678) 510-2099 or by visiting our website at http://www.northbuckheaddrivingandduischool.com/ and using our secure registration system.