Binge Drinking & Alcohol Poisoning in the US: Perception vs. Reality

• Print

January 10, 2015

New research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) illuminates the link between binge drinking and alcohol poisoning, dispelling common beliefs about who is most affected:

• An estimated 6 adults a day die from alcohol poisoning in the U.S.
• A majority of these deaths occur among the age group 34-64, not young drinkers.
• Alcohol addiction is a contributing factor in just 30% of alcohol poisoning deaths.

The alcohol poisoning report is the latest in a series of CDC research studies showing that alcohol-related harm is a widespread problem in the U.S., affecting a much larger proportion of the population than is commonly believed:

• Excessive consumption accounts for 1 in 10 deaths among working-age U.S. adults.
• Nearly 88,000 deaths per year are attributable to excessive alcohol consumption.
• One in 6 adults in the U.S. engages in binge drinking regularly.
• Only 1 in 10 problem drinkers meet the clinical criteria for alcohol dependence.
• Excessive consumption results in $223 billion in annual economic costs.

Alcohol-related harm and its associated costs are not relegated to a small proportion of the population who are alcohol dependent. These problems must be addressed by policies that are directed at the population level, and by targeting environmental factors that contribute to excessive consumption. The CDC recommends evidence-based strategies such as limiting access and availability and raising taxes to prevent alcohol-related harm.