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Study Finds Nearly 32 Million Americans Admit To Extreme Binge Drinking

Study Finds Nearly 32 Million Americans Admit To Extreme Binge Drinking

The numbers have increased.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Research published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found rates of extreme binge-drinking from 2012-2013 are significantly higher than a decade ago in the US.

The study says almost 32 million Americans have admitted in the past year that they've drunk eight to 10 alcoholic drinks or more in a single sitting.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism director George Koob says: "This important study reveals that a large number of people in the United States drink at very high levels and underscores the dangers associated with such 'extreme' binge drinking.

"Of the nearly 90,000 people who die from alcohol each year, more than half, or 50,000, die from injuries and overdoses associated with high blood alcohol levels."

Credit: PA

Extreme binge drinking is double the standard rate of four or more drinks in a single sitting for women and five or more for men.

In the UK, the NHS says binge drinking is eight units of alcohol, which can be found in a little more than three pints of four percent beer.

A whopping seven percent of respondents to the survey admitted to consuming 15 drinks or more in one sitting. With a population of 321.4 million people, that is 22 million admitting to level three binge drinking.

The study claims that people who abuse alcohol to an excessive amount were more likely to also use other drugs. Senior author Aaron White says: "Drinking at such high levels can suppress areas of the brain that control basic life-support functions such as breathing and heart rate, thereby increasing one's risk of death.

"The risk increases further if other sedative drugs, particularly opioids or benzodiazepines, are added to the mix."

Credit: PA

The NHS recommends that to reduce your risk from binge drinking, a user should drink slower, with food and alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

After 10 to 20 years of regular binge drinking, a person is more susceptible of contracting throat, mouth and breast cancer, suffering a stroke or developing heart or liver disease.

Alcohol poisoning is also a serious risk of binge drinking. Signs and symptoms can include confusion, severely slurred speech, loss of co-ordination, vomiting, irregular or slow breathing or passing out.

People are never recommended to 'sleep it off' as the level of alcohol in a person's body can keep rising up to 40 minutes after their last drink.

Sources: Yahoo and NHS

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Alcohol