One foot in the grave: Binge-drinking elderly

Binge drinking is more common in the United States than previously thought, particularly among young adults, though the most frequent offenders are over 65, said a US government study.

One in six Americans, or 17.1 per cent of the population, binge drinks, defined as consuming five or more alcoholic beverages in a sitting for men and four or more among women, said the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. The latest data for 2010 is an increase over the CDC’s report on the same topic for 2009, which said about 15 per cent of US adults, or 33 million Americans, binge drink, a rate that had stayed the same for more than 15 years.

While the most common age group among the 38 million American who binge drink was 18-34, those who reported doing it most often were over 65, said the CDC’s Vital Signs report, which also warned of the health and safety risks of high alcohol use.

Seniors who binge drink reported doing so 5.5 times per month, compared to an average of four times a month among the rest of the binge-drinking population. The 18-24 age group had the highest amount of binge drinkers (28.2 per cent) in their ranks and tended to drink the most – 9.3 drinks – in each setting. The age group 25-34 was a close second (27.9 per cent).

“Binge drinking by adults has a huge public health impact, and influences the drinking behaviour of underage youth by the example it sets,” said CDC substance abuse and mental health services administrator Pamela Hyde.

“We need to reduce binge drinking by adults to prevent the immediate and long-term effects it has on the health of adults and youth.”

The data was collected by a randomized phone survey in 48 states and the US capital region. This year, it also included cell phones, which likely resulted in a higher number of young people’s participation. The survey found that binge drinking was most common among people who earned $75,000 or more a year in household income, but those who earned less than $25,000 a year went on binges more frequently.