US Adults Drink 17 Billion Binge Drinks a Year

"Don’t binge drink. Drinking less reduces the chance you’ll harm yourself or others.

Binge drinking is defined as consuming 4 or more drinks on an occasion (2-3 hours) for women and 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men.

Binge drinking is responsible for over half of the 88,000 alcohol-attributable deaths and three quarters of the $249 billion economic costs of excessive drinking each year in the United States.

Binge drinking can result in dangerous driving, risky sexual behavior, and violent behavior. Over time, binge drinking also increases the risk of other serious health problems, including cancer, heart disease, and liver failure.

U.S. adults consume more than 17 billion binge drinks, or about 470 binge drinks per binge drinker annually.¹ While binge drinking is more common among young adults aged 18-34 years, more than half of the binge drinks consumed each year are by adults aged 35 years or older. Adult binge drinkers binge frequently, about once a week, and at high intensity, averaging seven drinks per binge, significantly increasing the risk of harm to themselves and others..."
Binge drinkers