No Safety in Binge Drinking Numbers: Data Show That Most Bingers are Not Alone in...

No Safety in Binge Drinking Numbers: Data Show That Most Bingers are Not Alone
in Drinking, Consequences

DENVER, June 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- New research strongly suggests that
binge drinking often occurs in settings that dramatically increase the risk of
injury to bingers and others, a disturbing finding considering that binge
drinking accounts for approximately half of the 75,000 alcohol-attributable
deaths in the United States every year and opens the door to a host of
dangerous risk behaviors.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) epidemiologist
Timothy Naimi, M.D., M.P.H., who presented his data during the Conference of
State and Territorial Epidemiologists national conference this week in Denver,
almost half of all binge drinking occurs in public places. Two-thirds of the
time, beer is the beverage of choice among binge drinkers, and it is readily
available, even to underage drinkers.

Dr. Naimi's findings are from a CDC study that examined data from 14,150
respondents to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey Binge Drinking
Module during 2003 and 2004. The results confirm that binge drinking can have
serious consequences.

"Overall, 12 percent of binge drinkers reported driving during or soon after
binge drinking," Dr. Naimi says, "meaning they were risking injury or death
not only for themselves but also their passengers, other drivers and
pedestrians."

The study found that 42 percent of those who drove after binge drinking were
coming from a bar or club, and that 20 percent of those binge drinking at bars
and clubs subsequently operated a motor vehicle. On average, they consumed
more than eight drinks during their most recent binge bout. In addition, many
binge drinkers were not old enough to legally purchase alcohol. However, 20
percent of underage respondents reported being able to buy their own alcohol
at a store, bar, or restaurant.

While there are a number of effective policies to reduce excessive drinking,
Dr. Naimi concludes that current prevention efforts are "grossly inadequate."
He says research supports the aggressive implementation of effective
evidence-based strategies to reduce binge drinking, such as increased alcohol
taxes and enhanced enforcement of minimum legal drinking age laws. The
research also points to the need to continue or step up surveillance of the
context in which binge drinking occurs.

CSTE is a professional association of over 1050 public health epidemiologists
working in states, local health agencies, and territories. CSTE works to
establish more effective relationships among state and other health agencies.
It also provides technical advice and assistance to partner organizations,
such as the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and
to federal public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). CSTE members have surveillance and epidemiology expertise in
a broad range of areas including occupational health, infectious diseases,
immunization, environmental health, chronic diseases, injury control, and
maternal and child health. CSTE's work is an important step in ensuring a well
prepared and competent public health workforce.

SOURCE Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists

Lakesha Robinson of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists,
Cell: +1-678-656-9052, lrobinson@cste.org