Partying The Hardest: The Heaviest Drinking Counties in America

"According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol consumption is a technical term that includes both binge drinking and heavy drinking. Binge drinking is defined as four or more standard drinks on a single occasion for women and five or more drinks for men. Heavy drinking is eight or more drinks in a one-week period for women and 15 or more drinks for men. Any alcohol consumed by pregnant women or individuals under the legal age is also considered excessive drinking."

"Heavy drinking is linked to a number of chronic, potentially fatal conditions including heart disease, liver disease, and certain types of cancer. Binge drinking, meanwhile, is often a factor in auto accidents, alcohol poisonings, and accidental overdoses. The latest data from the CDC shows that binge drinking and heavy drinking claim approximately 178,000 lives in the U.S. each year, reducing the likely lifespan of those who die by an average of about 24 years."

"Rates of alcohol consumption are at an all-time low in the United States. According to a recent Gallup poll , only 54% of American adults consume alcoholic beverages, the smallest share ever reported in the survey's 87-year history, and down from 67% as recently as 2022. Despite the decline, excessive drinking continues to pose a significant economic burden and public health challenge"

Rates of alcohol consumption are at an all-time low in the United States, with 54% of adults consuming alcoholic beverages, down from 67% in 2022. Excessive alcohol consumption encompasses binge and heavy drinking, and any alcohol by pregnant women or underage individuals. Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks on a single occasion for women and five or more for men; heavy drinking is eight or more drinks in a one-week period for women and 15 or more drinks for men. Heavy and binge drinking contribute to chronic diseases, accidents, and about 178,000 deaths annually in the U.S., reducing life expectancy by roughly 24 years and costing the economy hundreds of billions.

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