CDC: Binge Drinking is 'big' Problem

Put down that glass for this: more than 38 million U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month, downing as many as eight drinks on average, according to a recent report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC this month targeted binge drinking as a growing problem nationwide.

While the behavior is more common among young adults, older adults who admit to binge drinking do so more often at an average of five to six times a month, according to the CDC report.

Plus, binge drinking was noted as more common among those with household incomes of $75,000 or more. But binge drinkers with lower household incomes consume the largest number of drinks per binge, the CDC reported.

"Binge drinking causes a wide range of health, social and economic problems and this report confirms the problem is really widespread," said CDC director Dr. Thomas Frieden in a statement.

"It is alarming that binge drinkers are consuming so much alcohol with such regularity," said CDC scientist Robert Brewer in the same statement. "The risk to their lives can be reduced. CDC is working in collaboration with our partners to strengthen binge drinking prevention through improved public health surveillance of excessive alcohol use and by supporting the implementation of community–based prevention strategies that can reduce excessive drinking."

Here in Hermosa Beach, some residents who live near downtown have said in City Council meetings that , blaming patrons who might drink too much as the cause of loud noise in the area.

Binge drinking in the CDC report was defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on an occasion. Data used was collected from about 36,000 cell phone survey respondents.

Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes more than 80,000 deaths across the country each year, making it the third leading preventable cause of death, according to the CDC, which added more than half of the deaths result from injuries that disproportionately involve young people.

Drinking incidents were also responsible for more than $223.5 billion in economic costs across the country in 2006, the CDC reported.

While some Hermosa residents have claimed binge drinking is a local problem, the CDC pointed out areas in the country where binge drinking is most common: the Midwest, New England, Washington D.C., Alaska and Hawaii.

(Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

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