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. 2021 Oct 15;70(41):1441-1446.
doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm7041a2.

Binge Drinking Among Adults, by Select Characteristics and State - United States, 2018

Binge Drinking Among Adults, by Select Characteristics and State - United States, 2018

Michele K Bohm et al. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. .

Abstract

Excessive alcohol use* is associated with disease, injury, and poor pregnancy outcomes and is responsible for approximately 95,000 deaths in the United States each year (1). Binge drinking (five or more drinks on at least one occasion for men or four or more drinks for women) is the most common and costly pattern of excessive alcohol use (2). CDC analyzed data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to estimate past 30-day binge drinking prevalence, frequency, and intensity (number of drinks per occasion), overall and by select characteristics and state. The overall unadjusted prevalence of binge drinking during the past 30 days was 16.6%, representing an estimated 38.5 million U.S. adults aged ≥18 years; prevalence was highest (26.0%) among those aged 25-34 years. The age-standardized binge drinking prevalence was higher among men (22.5%) than among women (12.6%), increased with income, and was highest among non-Hispanic White adults and adults in the Midwest Census region. State-level age-standardized binge drinking prevalence ranged from 10.5% (Utah) to 25.8% (Wisconsin). Among adults who reported binge drinking, 25.0% did so at least weekly, on average, and 25.0% consumed at least eight drinks on an occasion. To reduce binge drinking, the Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends increasing alcohol taxes and implementing strategies that strengthen regulations to reduce alcohol availability. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends clinicians screen adults for alcohol misuse in primary care settings and provide counseling as needed.§.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
Prevalence of binge drinking among adults aged ≥18 years — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2018 Abbreviation: DC = District of Columbia. * Respondents who reported consuming five or more alcoholic drinks (men) or four or more alcoholic drinks (women) on at least one occasion in the past 30 days. State prevalence estimates are divided into tertiles.

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