April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a nationwide campaign intended to raise awareness of the health and social problems that excessive alcohol consumption can cause for family, friends and our community.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Binge drinking is about more than just the number of binge drinkers. The amount and number of times binge drinkers drink are also important to address.
Age group with most binge drinkers: 18-34 years
Age group that binge drinks most often: 65+ years
Income group with most binge drinkers: more than $75,000
Income group that binge drinks the most often and drinks most per binge: less than $25,000
Most alcohol-impaired drivers binge drink.
Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics.
More than half of the alcohol adults drink is while binge drinking.
More than 90% of the alcohol youths drink is while binge drinking.
Binge drinking costs everyone
In a recent study drinking too much cost $746 per person, in the US. These costs include health care expenses, crime, and lost productivity.
Binge drinking cost federal, state, and local governments about 62 cents per drink, while federal and state income from taxes on alcohol totaled only about 12 cents per drink.
Drinking too much contributes to over 54 different injuries and diseases, including car crashes, violence, and sexually-transmitted diseases.
The chance of getting sick and dying from alcohol problems increases significantly for those who binge drink more often and drink more when they do.
So what is “Binge Drinking”? For men: drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time or for women: drinking 4 or more drinks within a short period of time.
So what can you do? Drink in moderation if you do drink. The US Dietary Guidelines on alcohol consumption recommend no more than 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men for those over 21. Pregnant or nursing women, those on medication and underage youth should not drink alcohol. NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE!
For more information or to become involved contact the Richland County DUI Task Force at 433-2207 or go to: Richland.org
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