Trends in Total Binge Drinks per Adult Who Reported Binge Drinking - United States, 2011-2017

Abstract

Each year, excessive drinking accounts for one in 10 deaths among U.S. adults aged 20-64 years (1), and approximately 90% of adults who report excessive drinking* binge drink (i.e., consume five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women on a single occasion) (2). In 2015, 17.1% of U.S. adults aged ≥18 years reported binge drinking approximately once a week and consumed an average of seven drinks per binge drinking episode, resulting in 17.5 billion total binge drinks, or 467 total binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking (3). CDC analyzed 2011-2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data to assess trends in total annual binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking in the United States overall and in the individual states. The age-adjusted^† total annual number of binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking increased significantly from 472 in 2011 to 529 in 2017. Total annual binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking also increased significantly from 2011 to 2017 among those aged 35-44 years (26.7%, from 468 to 593) and 45-64 years (23.1%, from 428 to 527). The largest percentage increases in total binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking during this period were observed among those without a high school diploma (45.8%) and those with household incomes <$25,000 (23.9%). Strategies recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force^§ for reducing excessive drinking (e.g., regulating alcohol outlet density) might reduce binge drinking and related health risks.

FIGURE

Age-adjusted annual number of binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking among adults aged ≥18 years, by sex — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States, 2011–2017 * Age-adjusted mean of total binge drinks per adult who reported binge drinking was standardized to the projected 2000 U.S. Census population. ^† Total number of binge drinks was calculated by multiplying the frequency of binge drinking (i.e., total annual number of binge drinking episodes) by the binge drinking intensity (i.e., the largest number of drinks consumed by adults who reported binge drinking on any occasion) for each adult who reported binge drinking. ^§ Including respondents aged 18–20 years who were under the legal drinking age. ^¶ Respondents were from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.