Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking alcohol designed to get you drunk and your blood alcohol content above the legal limit. Binge drinking is a common, excessive and potentially deadly act in the United States.

The last study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2015, found that those ages 18-24 and 25-34 binge drank the most at 25% and 27% respectively. The third-place winner may be an age group that surprises you; 20% of 35-44-year old’s reported binge drinking.

Other sobering stats and facts

While numerous factors tie to how well or poorly your body metabolizes alcohol, binge drinking is summed up to the act of drinking a lot of alcohol quickly.

1. One in six adults binge drink four times per month. That adds up to 17 million binge drinks per year or 467 binge drinks per person
2. Binge drinking is much more common in men as four out of every five binge drinks were drank by a man
3. The act of binge drinking is more common with in households of higher income levels, but those with lower income and education levels consume more binge drinks per year
4. Most people under 21 reported binge drinking and consuming greater amounts

Binge drinking can lead to the following health problems:

1. Unintentional injuries due to car crashes, falls, trips, burns, and alcohol poisoning among others
2. Violence in the form of homicide, suicide, self-inflicted harm, partner violence and sexual assault
3. Sexually-transmitted diseases (STD)
4. Pregnancy issues, such as a stillbirth miscarriage or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)
5. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
6. High blood pressure, stroke, heart disease and liver disease(s)
7. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver or colon
8. Cognitive issues
9. Alcohol addiction

Binge drinking isn’t cheap

As a country, binge drinking cost the United States nearly $250 billion in 2010. This total cost came from workplace losses due to a lack of productivity, health care expenses and criminal justice costs and attorney fees among others.

If you do fall victim to an unfortunate incident due to alcohol use, don’t fight it alone, and remember, there is nothing wrong with enjoying alcohol if it’s done safely and responsibly. Keep an eye out for yourself and those around you next time you’re out to avoid being a part of the CDC’s next report.