In the United States, 17.5 million alcoholic beverages are consumed in a year. Binge-drinking, the practice of drinking a lot and in a short period of time, affects 37 million Americans every week, or more than 16% of the population according to a report published on Friday March 16 by the Center for the control and prevention of diseases (CDC).
The CDC study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, focuses on the declarations of drinkers over a period of 30 days in 2015. We are talking about binge-drinking from a consumption of 4 or more drinks in 2 hours for a woman and a minimum of 5 drinks for a man.
Adverse effects in the short and long term
Among the states most affected by binge-drinking, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky and Hawaii. Unlike the states of Washington, New Jersey and New York which are at the bottom of the ranking.
Experts take the opportunity to recall the risks of such alcoholism both in the short and long term. Road accidents, assaults or even cancer, heart disease and cirrhosis of the liver, binge-drinking presents many dangers.
It is no coincidence that this study was published on March 16, St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish holiday where alcohol generally flows freely. On this occasion, the police have multiplied the messages encouraging the population to drink in moderation or, failing that, to use public transport to return home.
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