Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2004 Apr;94(4):663-71.
doi: 10.2105/ajph.94.4.663.

Metropolitan-area estimates of binge drinking in the United States

Affiliations

Metropolitan-area estimates of binge drinking in the United States

David E Nelson et al. Am J Public Health. 2004 Apr.

Erratum in

  • Am J Public Health. 2004 Aug;94(8):1295

Abstract

Objectives: We estimated adult binge drinking prevalence in US metropolitan areas.

Methods: We analyzed 1997 and 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data for 120 metropolitan areas in 48 states and the District of Columbia.

Results: The prevalence of binge drinking varied substantially across metropolitan areas, from 4.1% in Chattanooga, Tenn, to 23.9% in San Antonio, Tex, (median = 14.5%). Seventeen of the 20 metropolitan areas with the highest estimates were located in the upper Midwest, Texas, and Nevada. In 13 of these areas, at least one third of persons aged 18 to 34 years were binge drinkers. There were significant intrastate differences for binge drinking among metropolitan areas in New York, Tennessee, and Utah.

Conclusions: Metropolitan-area estimates can be used to guide local efforts to reduce binge drinking.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Geographic distribution of binge-drinking prevalence estimates for US metropolitan areas: 1997 and 1999.
FIGURE 2—
FIGURE 2—
State binge-drinking estimates and the 20 US metropolitan areas with the highest binge-drinking levels: 1997 and 1999.

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. McGinnis JM, Foege WH. Actual causes of death in the United States. JAMA. 1993;270:2207–2212. - PubMed
    1. Wechsler H, Austin SB. Binge drinking: the five/four measure. J Stud Alcohol. 1998;59:122–124. - PubMed
    1. Wechsler H, Nelson TF. Binge drinking and the American college student: what’s five drinks? Psychol Addict Behav. 2001;15:287–291. - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Alcohol-related mortality and years of potential life lost—United States, 1987. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 1990;39:173–178. - PubMed
    1. Chikritzhs TN, Jonas HA, Stockwell TR, Heale PF, Dietze PM. Mortality and life-years lost due to alcohol: a comparison of acute and chronic causes. Med J Aus. 2001;174:281–284. - PubMed

MeSH terms