More than 40 million Americans (about one in six adults) indulge in binge drinking. The CDC defines binge drinking as consuming four standard drinks in a two-hour span for females and five for males. Binge drinking has been on the rise over the last decade with more than 8 million new binge drinkers since 2010. While binge drinking historically has been about twice as common in men compared to women, new data suggests the gap is narrowing. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of binge drinkers rose by 2.9 million, out of which two thirds were female.
The CDC estimates that excess drinking kills about 88,000 Americans each year from both direct causes, like alcoholic liver disease, and indirect causes, such as chronic hepatitis and oropharyngeal cancer. The national age-adjusted fatality rate from causes directly related to excess drinking has increased by more than 35% since 1999, from 7.1 to 9.6 deaths per 100,000 people. For women, the increase was 66%; and for non-Hispanic white women, fatality rates rose by 103%.
Binge drinking is most common among the educated, affluent, and middle-aged, with whites having a higher likelihood of drinking than either Hispanics or blacks. Cities with higher proportions of these demographic groups are more likely to report higher rates of binge drinking. The recent growth in female binge drinking is a trend experts attribute to the normalization of heavy drinking for females, with targeted advertising and products such as the “Mad Housewife Mommy’s Little Helper,” “Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka,” and “Jane Walker.” Female binge drinking is especially troubling in light of new studies which show that a single daily drink for females lowers life expectancy and increases the risk of brain atrophy and liver damage.
Given the growing prevalence of excessive drinking in the United States, researchers at 360 Quote wanted to explore which locations report the highest rates of binge drinking. Using data from the CDC and the U.S. Census Bureau, they examined binge drinking across America’s largest cities and states. Perhaps most interesting is that adults in locations with high rates of binge drinking also report being healthier overall. This trend could reflect a disparity between individuals’ perception of their own health and reality.
The analysis found that 16.8% of adults in Arizona binge drink, compared to a national rate of 16.2%. Here are the stats for Arizona:
- Adults who binge drink: 16.8%
- 1-year change in binge drinking rate: 3.1%
- Adults who report good physical health: 81.3%
- Adults who graduated college: 29.7%
- Adults in management and business jobs: 36.6%
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
- Adults who binge drink: 16.2%
- 1-year change in binge drinking rate: -6.9%
- Adults who report good physical health: 82.5%
- Adults who graduated college: 32.6%
- Adults in management and business jobs: 38.6%
For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report here: https://www.carinsurance101.com/cities-with-worst-drinking-problem/
