Quoted
from Fact Sheets- Alcohol Use and Health - Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
(http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm)
There
are approximately 88,000 deaths attributable to excessive alcohol use
each year in the United States. This makes excessive alcohol use the
3rd leading lifestyle-related cause of death for the nation..... In
2006, there were more than 1.2 million emergency room visits and 2.7
million physician office visits due to excessive drinking. The
economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in 2006 were
estimated at $223.5 billion.
The
Standard Measure of Alcohol
In
the United States, a standard drink is any drink that contains 0.6
ounces (14.0 grams or 1.2 tablespoons) of pure alcohol. Generally,
this amount of pure alcohol is found in
12-ounces
of regular beer or wine cooler.
8-ounces
of malt liquor.
5-ounces
of wine.
1.5-ounces
of 80-proof distilled spirits or liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka,
whiskey).
Definitions
of Patterns of Drinking Alcohol
Excessive
drinking includes heavy drinking, binge drinking, and any drinking by
pregnant women or underage youth.
Binge
drinking, the most common form of excessive alcohol consumption, is
defined as consuming
- For women, 4 or more drinks during a single occasion.
- For men, 5 or more drinks during a single occasion.
Heavy
drinking is defined as consuming
- For women, more than 1 drink per day on average.
- For men, more than 2 drinks per day on average.
Excessive
alcohol use has immediate effects that increase the risk of many
harmful health conditions. These immediate effects are most often the
result of binge drinking and include the following—
- Unintentional injuries, including traffic injuries, falls, drownings, burns, and unintentional firearm injuries.
- Violence, including intimate partner violence and child maltreatment. About 35% of victims report that offenders are under the influence of alcohol.7 Alcohol use is also associated with 2 out of 3 incidents of intimate partner violence.7 Studies have also shown that alcohol is a leading factor in child maltreatment and neglect cases, and is the most frequent substance abused among these parents.
- Risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, and increased risk of sexual assault. These behaviors can result in unintended pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.9,
- Miscarriage and stillbirth among pregnant women, and a combination of physical and mental birth defects among children that last throughout life.
- Alcohol poisoning, a medical emergency that results from high blood alcohol levels that suppress the central nervous system and can cause loss of consciousness, low blood pressure and body temperature, coma, respiratory depression, or death.
Long-Term
Health Risks
Over
time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic
diseases, neurological impairments and social problems. These include
but are not limited to—
- Neurological problems, including dementia, stroke and neuropathy.
- Cardiovascular problems, including myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation and hypertension.
- Psychiatric problems, including depression, anxiety, and suicide.
- Social problems, including unemployment, lost productivity, and family problems.
- Cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast. In general, the risk of cancer increases with increasing amounts of alcohol.
- Liver diseases, including—
- Alcoholic hepatitis.
- Cirrhosis, which is among the 15 leading causes of all deaths in the United States.
- Among persons with Hepatitis C virus, worsening of liver function and interference with medications used to treat this condition.
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