 |
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
October 5th, 2010
05:40 PM ET
Binge drinking common in teens and adultsMore than one in four high school students and adults aged 18 to 34 years had at least one episode of binge drinking a month, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Specifically, 2 out of 3 high school students and almost 1 in 3 adults who drink alcohol also binge drink, the CDC said. Binge drinking is a serious health problem no matter how often people engage in the practice according to Dr.Robert Brewer, study author and alcohol prevention expert at the CDC. "Binge drinking at any level is associated with increase harm to health– similar to smoking– any is undesirable," he said. "90 percent of the alcohol consumed by high school kids is consumed in the course of binge drinking and more than half of the alcohol consumed by adults is consumed in the course of binge drinking," said CDC Director Dr. Thomas Frieden. Binge drinking is defined as 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more for men, consumed quickly over about 2 hours. "We estimate that at least 15% of U.S. adults or 33 million men and women reported binge drinking one or more times in the past month," Brewer told reporters. The rate has not declined during the past 15 years, according to the report. More than 80 percent of binge drinkers do not meet the medical criteria for being alcohol dependent, Brewer said, so they may not believe their drinking habits are a health risk. This is why the CDC wants to raise awareness about these health risks, he added. Excessive alcohol use, including binge drinking, is the third leading cause of preventable death in America, according to the CDC. More than 79,000 lives are cut short by alcohol each year. People who binge drink put themselves at higher risk for fatal car crashes, drug overdoses, violence and contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The long-term health consequences are just as dire. Drinking in excess can damage the liver and increase the risk of stroke, heart disease and certain cancers. Heavy drinking can also lead to unintended pregnancies; drinking when pregnant is dangerous for the fetus. Men are twice as likely as women to binge drink– about 21 percent of males compared to 10 percent of females, according to the CDC study. Binge drinking also is more common among whites and Hispanics (about 16 percent each) compared to blacks (10 percent). The study also found higher rates of binge drinking among those earning more $75,000 a year and those with at least a high school diploma. The CDC based its findings on self reported data in: The 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (412,000 adults 18 and older) and the 2009 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (16,000 high school students). "Even though we're reporting quite high rates of binge drinking among adults and youth, I think there is good reason to believe it is significantly underreported," Brewer said. |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
 |
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
Legalize cannabis so a person has a safer option to chose from , being stuck with alcohol and tobacco are deadly options. No one has ever died from cannabis, and people are already smoking it even though it's illegal. But so is drinking and driving.... you can binge smoke all you want and the only thing that will happen is , a good deep sleep.
Seems there are two sides to this:
1. Drink = Bad
2. Drink = Fun
So, if you're in camp number 1, enjoy your sobriety. If you're in camp number 2, enjoy your drink. Either way, the world will keep moving along the same way it always has. Some people will drink too much. Some people won't. Some people will be former drinkers who assume they know what's best. Other people will be current drinkers who assume they know what's best. Fact is, you are you, and someone else is someone else. Live and let live.
Me? I think I'll head out to lunch and enjoy a delicious beer on a nice, warm and sunny patio.
And if you want to stop fatal car crashes, check out public transit. It very difficult to drive drunk when you're a passenger. And buses are the safest form of transportation.
The only relevant point in this article is the increased risk of liver disease and cancer. All other "health" and "social" risks are not caused by alcohol, but the individual. Being under the influence is not an excuse for poor decision making. For the past 10 years I have been a "binge drinker," and it has not affected my work, relationships, family, etc. in the least. I drink because I enjoy it- and make responsible decisions while "drunk." The only health risk is that pizza I might chose to eat instead of something healthy. Hell, when the wedding ran out of booze, Jesus turned water into wine. If he encouraged binge drinking, it's good enough for me.
Sorry I joined this thread just to Tom Poolash bash. I saw Tom was getting some heat earlier so I just wanted to join in, I will admit to not reading that far down in the thread so any other Toms that I may have offended my applogies. Tom does seem like a drag everyone knows binge drinking is awesome my friend Jen does it all the time.
That's 25 minutes per beer. I don't know about you, but I couldn't drink slower than that if I wanted to. It gets warm, even with a huggie. And I don't even drink that much. Ok so maybe I do. But its so yummy!
I don't drink during the week, but when the weekend comes I party. I don't count my drinks, I gage my mood and I don't drink and drive.
What a horribly written article. I think the author of the piece was drunk when they wrote it. Of course pregnant women shouldn't drink alcohol but "Unintended pregnancy"?? health risk?? If it wasn't for drunk horny people many of us would not even be around to read this article. Also, it is very common knowledge that excessive alcohol intake of long periods of time can cause liver damage. This piece reveals absolutely nothing to the reader.
Wow! I had no idea this was such a problem, I drink more than 4 in a 2hour period quite often. Thank god CNN was here to tell me the error of my ways. I guess i'll just start dripping acid now....it sounds much safer
Binge drinking is common in teens and adults? What's the next story going to be... "Water is wet"?
Fire is hot!
NEWS FLASH: There is a 99.999999999999999999% chance that the sun will rise tomorrow!
It amazes me at how people want to control your life. Look if a person wants to get drunk then its their business,, if they want to get high its their business. As long as they are not hurting anyone or causing destruction, then it is nobodies business but your own. I am so sick of people and the government trying to tell you what is good and what is bad for you. It is our body, we are the ones that will deal with the health consequences. Look I don't drink that often,, but there are times I want to get drunk and laugh at a movie or whatever,,, leave me alone with your control ideas of government, religion etc. You don't know me, don't have to live with me or anything else, so shut the f%@k up with your controlling ideas. What next tell people they cant have that cheeseburger because of course its bad for you,, and now your going to jail cause you ate something not approved by our government.
I think we should all get really drunk and then comment on this! just think of the fun! I have a 12 pack in the fridge and if i drink all of those I guess that makes me a SUPER BINGE DRINKER. So bottoms up!
To Leslie Wade-CNN Medical Producer:
Thank you Captain Obvious. Drinking causes damage to your body. But I'm here to tell you, if you haven't blacked out and woken up with missing pieces of memory, a random stranger, tattoo, or missing body part, you really haven't lived.
You got to admit that its pretty funny that study like this is conducted by a guy who's last name is Brewer.
Well no sh*t a lot of people binge drink! The definition is defined as "4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more for men, consumed quickly over about 2 hours." Who the hell takes 30 minutes to finish a drink? I like having my drink cold so I drink mine in 10 minutes depending and of course 1 drink isn't enough to get me drunk so I'll have another. The article and definition of 'binge drinking" is absolutely absurd!!!!
"Heavy drinking can also lead to unintended pregnancies"
I had no idea that alcohol could get you pregnant....Wait, it CAN'T get you pregnant. Does CNN read these articles after they write them? The author is either greatly misinformed, or is trying to scare the readers by making absurd assumptions.
In other news, people found to wear clothing. The level of clothing depends on the temperature.
Who made up these numbers? When I was in college binge drinking was 3 days of 5 drinks every two hours. I just wish I could remember what college I went to......
Heavy Drinkers Outlive Nondrinkers:
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2014332,00.html
This article contains actual research and wasn't written as scare tactic propaganda. Read this instead and don't bother reading the garbage written by Leslie Wade
LOL
WTF IS THIS.. i binge drink and i love it..... its only harmful if your a moron and dont know your limitations, if government let kids somewhat experience alcohol during high-school in a monitored scenario than we wouldnt have so many problems
Can we stop and look at the numbers and what they mean? Binge drinking = Four or five drinks over a 2 hour period. Or one drink every 24 to 30 minutes. One quarter of all high school students did this in the past 30 days. This means, theoretically, if your kid is sitting on the couch with 3 friends, one of them was knocking back a shot every half hour sometime in past month. Keep in mind, these are the ones who aren't supposed to be drinking AT ALL.
Recent medical studies show alcohol (and other drugs for that matter) have a more profound impact on teenagers' brains, so there is an actual scientific basis for restricting use of alcohol by those under 21.
and weed is illegal...
"I drink to make other people interesting"
F. Scott Fitzgerald
I don't understand why people think, that people that drink and smoke do so because they have problems or can't handle life. I'm sure some do, but that simply isn't true for all. That is a made up belief so that those that don't drink or smoke can have something to bitch about. To sum it up, whether you drink or smioke........were all gonna die, so pick your poison (or don't) and enjoy life.
You could get hit by a bus on the way to the bar.
"Heavy drinking can also lead to unintended pregnancies" I loved this article.
Reading these comments makes me want to have a drink. Or twelve.
I'm gonna suck down 4 right now but I'll save that 5th one for a couple of hours so I don't get called out binging.
I think "binge drinking" is just an ugly name so more people will qualify for rehab. It's a big business and if you *gasp* drink 4-5 drinks in a sitting... you're abusing alcohol and on the road to living on the street and sleeping in the gutter. Good thing you got that alcohol evaluation!
Some people are suprised to learn they actually "binge drink" because they don't know that many mixed drinks and martinis count as 2 drinks. In fact, a healthy pour of wine at the Olive Garden (which I'd better get for 9 bucks!) counts as 1.5 (or even 2 drinks) This means a person who enjoys 2 glasses of wine during dinner and opts for a chocolate martini for dessert had had "6 drinks" easily.
Ever been talked into a long island ice tea? "4 drinks" 2 long island ice teas in two hours = "8 drinks" (although I would never suggest more than 2 of these guys!)
There needs to be a better way to determine who needs to be more careful about drinking without pointing fingers at a couple who are enjoying an evening together.
Ask ANYONE what they think of when they hear the word 'binge drinker' and they probably won't describe someone drinking more than 4/5 drinks in 2 hours...
"Beer is proof that God loves us, and wants us to be happy"
Ben Franklin
I just drink cause it helps me get laid every once and a while. Getting laid is great for your health!! Maybe all these people who are so uptight about everything should try it sometime.
I love when drunks call sober people uptight. LOL Morons
I love when uptight people call others drunks.
I did not know that drinking created babies?! Now i know where babies come from.
I drank a case of beer a week ago. I wonder what they would say about that
I think before a guy leaves the house he should just put on a condom. This way we can all still drink and not worry about the STD's that always come after.
Binge drinking is good for everyone... especially morale building for ugly people
Matt,
I believe they would say Congratulations for that case you drank. I can't even fathom how many women you impregnated, I hope you used a fake name when you "Went halvses on those basturds".
I wonder if I'm the only one that read that first line as
"More than one in four high school students and adults aged 18 to 34 years had at least one episode of being complete morons once a month."
WOW me too.
If you don't come off of a weekend with stories to tell and a headache, you did it wrong.
a person is only as strong as the drinks they make
Anyone making fun of this article needs to look themselves in the mirror and admit they have a drinking problem...Hi, my name is Gwen, and I'm here to wash your vajayjay!
@Tom Poolash: Can you give the rest of us a detailed explanation of your particular hang-up? Otherwise, I'd have to just make one up involving an alcoholic parent or something of the sort to fill in the reasons for your aversion to anything and everything...altering.
no hang up. I've just seen the destruction that binge drinking does and the frat boy attitude displayed here shows that it wouldn't change anytime soon. If you have free time stop your local correctional institution and psych ward and ask how many people are there because of alcohol. They all thought binge drinking was fun too. Frankly I could care less if you drink yourself to any early grave. As this forum shows denial is not just a river in Egypt. Enjoy your blackouts and waking up in your vomit. Sounds like great fun.
The Poolash doth protest too much, methinks.
So do you work in a correctional institution or psych ward, or was it yourself or a family member that was incarcerated in such a facility? Since obtaining alcohol in sufficient quantities to induce blackouts and unconscious vomiting are probably hard to come by in those environments, I'm guessing someone in your family has hit rock-bottom on multiple occasions?
My personal details are of NO relevance here. Do you think I'm making this up? But hey like I said earlier you keep telling yourself that there are NO negatives consequences to binge drinking and go on your merry way. The truly juvenile attitudes expressed by the majority on this board should be good news for both rehabs/psych wards and prisons.
Of course your personal details have relevance.
And I never said there weren't negative consequences. That's merely you (and your personal details) painting everything with a very broad, monochromatic brush.
So was it your mom in rehab? Your dad in prison? C'mon...spill for us.
Hey people are stupid let them do as thet please till they really mess up their own life or someone elses. Like the 6 year old who got a gun in her face because her daddy was too drunk to know better. I'm not saying drinking is bad but there is such as too much of a good thing.
Come on Tom answer Sean's question...who was it?
Well if you must know I killed a guy in a drunken blackout and served 5 years. Does this fact somehow validate or invalidate all the salient points I've made. Quite frankly I hope the vast majority of these idiots do drink themselves to death as it would clean up the gene pool significantly.
I binge drink every time I drink.
everyone needs to listen to this article and stop drinking
Yeah, good luck with that.
Who cares? This life sucks anyway. I would rather not live any longer than I have to. Actually this story is making me want to drink! Bacardi here I come!
Ok is someone messing with the poll on the front page? I was expecting WAY more people to say "yes" to "have you ever engaged in binge drinking?".
No is actually winning! And the question was, have you EVER. So are you telling me most people who read CNN have never ever drank 4-5 drinks in a 2 hour period in their lives? Either the poll is being messed with as a joke, or the public doesn't know the definition of "binge drinking".
Come to Wisco and binge you pussies
Alcohol isn't bad. Too much of it is. It was pretty crazy to see that 2/3 of high schoolers that partake in drinking are binge drinkers. I think modern culture has contributed to these numbers! Look at pop music videos, most show the lavish lifestyle, with most videos exposing alcohol in them.
Ok, I read this article and about the first 30 or so comments. Here's what I have to say:
One, this article is very poorly written. It suggests that drinking makes one pregnant. That's about as ignorant as the old saying "kissing leads to babies." I am 21 years old, make less than the income they suggested, was an honor's student in high school and drank pretty much every weekend. That being said, I've never had a DUI or and STD. Does alcohol impair SOME of your judgment, yes. But 5 drinks, even for me doesn't make me want to hop in my car, drive to some stranger's house and crawl in bed with him. Can I sometimes not tell how cold it is outside? Yeah. But I strongly believe that the MAJORITY of the time, people are looking for an excuse to do something stupid or immoral and be able to brush off this social taboo by saying "the alcohol made me do it." Did Eve have to eat the apple? No. But when the hammer came down, she tried to push the blame off on someone else. Ultimately, I think if u have a strong moral standing and a decent head on your shoulders, you won't be persuaded to engage in certain things, intoxicated or not. Alcohol is an easy way to unwind and let your hair down. Not the scapegoat for one's own poor decisions. Find a new excuse people...
"Heavy drinking can also lead to unintended pregnancies" .....teehee
Why am I not surprised with this finding? When you consider peer pressure and the fact that we are constantly telling them that ‘drinking is cool’ using various marketing channels, of course they are going to drink which naturally leads to binge drinking. And to add to all of that, most kids who binge drink have probably been watching their parents model this behavior for years. The temptation to binge drink is just too great.
Clay Boggess
http://www.BigEventFundraising.com