Binge Drinking Causes 80,000 Deaths Every Year

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to focus on the effects of alcoholism and all of the related issues. Binge drinking is the most common type of overindulgent alcohol consumption, classified as four drinks in a short period of time for women and five drinks in a short amount of time for men.

According to the CDC, one in every six adults binge drinks and over 80,000 deaths per year are attributed to binge drinking. Alcohol is the number one drug of choice for young adults, leading to more deaths than drug abuse. It is said that someone who takes their first drink around the age of 15 is more likely to develop alcoholism than someone who starts after the legal age of 21.

It is important to know the effects that binge drinking has on your body, aside from just impaired judgment. Impaired judgment can lead to an increased risk for sexual assault and sexually transmitted infections.  Heart disease, stroke and breast cancer, the leading causes of death among women, are all at an increased risk due to binge drinking. Women who drink during pregnancy can also harm their unborn child with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders, which will have a life-long effect.

Alcoholism can be prevented. Avoid binge drinking, and do what you can to help those around you avoid binge drinking as well. If you are pregnant, avoid drinking all together. It’s important to seek help from a healthcare provider for excessive drinking behavior. If you, or anyone you know, suffers from alcohol or drug abuse, call Immediate Care Medical Walk-in of Hazlet today to find out about our 10-point toxicology screening as well as our Drug and Alcohol Awareness program at 732-264-5500.