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More than 30 million US adults partake in extreme binge drinking

More than one in 10 U.S. adults aged 18 and older — or nearly 32 million people — consumed more than twice the number of drinks that is considered binge drinking on at least one occasion, according to an analysis of a 2013 NIH survey. The results appeared in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The researchers suggested that this higher level of drinking is associated with increased health and safety risks, and that further research explore ways to help men and women struggling with alcohol problems.

“Binge prevalence is a useful population index of dangerous alcohol consumption, but being dichotomous removes information regarding heavier, more dangerous drinking and assigns identical risk to all bingers regardless of how far they exceed the threshold,” Ralph W. Hingson, ScD, MPH, division of epidemiology and prevention research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and colleagues wrote. “Another limitation of a single binge threshold is that overall binging prevalence could decline, while the prevalence of higher drinking levels stabilizes or increases.”

According to a press release, binge drinking is considered four drinks in a single setting for women and five drinks for men. Level 1 extreme binge drinking is four to seven drinks per occasion for women and five to nine drinks for a man. Level 2 extreme binge drinking is eight to 11 drinks per occasion for a woman and 10 to 14 drinks for a man. Level 3 binge drinking is more than 12 drinks for a woman and more than 15 drinks for a man.

To ascertain how much such extreme binge drinking occurs, Hingson and colleagues analyzed data from 42,748 respondents of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions in 2001 to 2002 and 36,083 U.S. respondents in 2012 to 2013. The respondents were aged 18 and older and asked about their past-year maximum drink consumption per day. Predictors and whether levels 2 and 3 were associated with more negative consequences were analyzed using the 2012 to 2013 data.

Researchers found that in the 2001 to 2002 survey, 23% of adults reported past-year binge drinking, with 15% peaking at level 1, 5% at level 2, and 3% at level 3. In 2012 to 2013, the percentages increased to 33% of adults reporting past-year binge drinking, with 20% peaking at level 1, 8% at level 2, and 5% at level 3.

Hingson and colleagues also found that when the data were adjusted for alcohol use disorder, level 1, 2, and 3 binging, when compared with nonbinge drinking, all predicted higher odds of driving after drinking, driving after drinking too much, getting in physical fights, getting injured, or being arrested or having legal problems. In addition, level 3 bingers vs. level 1 bingers significantly more often drove after any drinking and drinking too much and, after drinking, had legal problems, were injured, were in physical fights, or arrested/detained, and that level 2 bingers vs. level 1 bingers were also significantly more likely to drive after drinking and drinking too much.

Researchers also wrote that in repeat regressions without alcohol use disorder as a covariate, level 3 binging, followed by level 2 and level 1 binging, most strongly predicted driving while drinking, driving under the influence accidents after drinking too much, and experiencing physical fights, arrests/detentions, injuries and other legal problems after drinking.

Hingson and colleagues said their findings suggest that follow-up work needs to be done.

“There is a clear need to identify interventions to reduce such high-intensity drinking and related harms. Research is needed to determine whether questions about peak consumption levels are valuable in screening instruments and assess gender specific risk factors for engaging in, and suffering consequences from, drinking at high peak levels,” they wrote. – by Janel Miller

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.