Drinking excessively might be harmful to your health. Between 2015 and 2019, excessive alcohol usage resulted in over 140,000 fatalities and 3.6 million years of potential life lost (YPLL) in the United States, reducing the lives of those who died by an average of 26 years. 1 Furthermore, among working-age adults aged 20 to 64 years, heavy drinking was responsible for 1 in 10 deaths. 2 Excessive alcohol use was expected to cost $249 billion in 2010, or $2.05 per drink. 3
What is excessive alcohol consumption?
Binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any drinking by pregnant women or those under the age of 21 are all examples of excessive drinking.
- Binge drinking is the most common form of excessive alcohol consumption.
- 4 or more drinks at a single event for women.
- 5 or more drinks in a single occasion for males.
- Drinking heavily is characterised as consuming
- 8 or more drinks per week for ladies.
- 15 or more drinks per week for guys.
The majority of people who drink excessively are not alcoholics or addicted to alcohol.
What is moderate alcohol consumption?
Moderation in Drinking: 1 drink per day or less for women; 2 drinks per day or less for males; or nondrinking
Adults of legal drinking age can choose not to drink or drink in moderation by restricting intake to two drinks or less per day for males and one drink or fewer per day for women on days when alcohol is consumed, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The Guidelines further state that persons who do not currently consume alcohol should not begin to do so for any reason, and that if adults of legal drinking age choose to consume alcoholic beverages, drinking less is preferable to drinking more.
Binge Consumption
Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more standard drinks for women and five or more drinks for males in less than two hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What makes binge drinking so dangerous? One of the most serious hazards is that foetal alcohol syndrome can develop after just one binge during the first few weeks of pregnancy. Alcohol consumption at that level, according to scientific evidence, can be harmful to one’s health. It is connected to:1
- Memory and attention issues
- Injuries are more likely to occur (sexual assault, car accidents, falls, burns, alcohol poisoning)
- Blood pressure problems
- Stroke
- Heart problems
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Carcinoma (breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon)
As a result, if you binge drink on a regular basis, you have an alcohol problem. Even if you don’t have an alcohol use disorder, your drinking is dangerous.
Drinking excessively
Heavy drinking, according to the CDC, is defined as 8 or more drinks per week for a woman and 15 or more drinks per week for a man.
You may be heavy drinking if you go out with pals every day of the weekend and have a couple too many drinks each time.
If your drinking habit begins to cause you social, legal, or personal difficulties, and you continue to drink despite the repercussions, it’s time to reconsider your relationship with alcohol. If you continue to drink heavily despite the following recurring difficulties, you are engaging in alcohol abuse.
- Poor academic or professional performance
- Ignorance of your obligations
- Having legal issues
- Driving when inebriated
Alcohol Recovery Programs
Get help today at an alcohol recovery program like Honey Lake Clinic Non 12 Step programs in Florida. Furthermore, if you have a medical or mental health problem that you know is exacerbated by alcohol use but still drink, you may be addicted to alcohol and should get treatment before suffering further consequences. Finally, if your drinking is interfering with your career, relationships, interests, or values, but you continue to drink, you should consider the benefits and drawbacks of continuing to engage in this habit.
