Drinking is usually a part of social activities and  people do it for different reasons and occasions. If we look at history, people drink wine to enhance their digestion, while for some cultures they do it during festivities and special gatherings.

Unfortunately, there’s also a downside to this habit, especially when you binge drink and later develop a dependence. In this article, we are going to talk about interesting facts about binge drinking and its status in the United States.

Also, we aim to encourage your awareness of the health problems brought about when you drink too much. Without further delay, let’s dive in.

5 Things About the Effects of Alcohol In Your System

Whether you are a “weekend” or daily binge drinker, it pays well that you know these facts about the health effects of alcohol.

#1 It has different effects on men and women of the same age

Say we have a man and a woman both at the age of 25, and then they consume an equal number of drinks, who will get drunk easily? This scenario entails that both individuals are not heavy drinkers.

Well, the answer will be the woman, and this is true because generally, women have lesser alcohol dehydrogenase that breaks down alcohol in the body.

#2 It lowers your blood sugar level

Surprisingly, the symptoms of hypoglycemia and alcoholism are parallel, which is why some diabetic patients consume a controlled volume of alcoholic drinks. Having said that, you still need to consult with your doctor regarding this process and never do self-medication.

#3 Moderate drinking may help mitigate heart problems

Alcohol is a good solvent for nonpolar compounds like cholesterol, the reason why some doctors recommend their patients to have one or two glasses of wine or distilled spirit daily. Having said that, it may help reduce clogging of arteries due to excess cholesterol blood content. Again, only do this upon the advice of a medical professional.

#4 Every person uniquely reacts when they drink

Similar to our comparison in the previous section, it’s a fact that every individual responds differently when they consume alcohol. Some people don’t get drunk easily, while others experience an allergic reaction like skin itchiness, skin swelling, and redness.

#5 It’s a misconception that alcohol warms your body

The temporary warmth you feel upon drinking is caused by the sudden rush of your blood due to alcohol. However, this is just temporary since alcohol helps your blood vessels and arteries expand, which enables you to lose heat much quicker.

Who Binge Drinks in the United States?

We have compiled interesting data regarding the population of drinkers in the U.S. Alongside this, you need to seek medical help as early as possible for treating your alcohol use disorder.

• In 2015, around one in six adults, binge drinks four times per month.
• Binge drinking is very rampant for the age group 18 to 34 years.
• Annually, one binge drinker in the U.S. consumes around 467 glasses.
• In general, men are twice more likely to consume more alcohol than women.
• Individuals younger than 21 years are the ones who commonly drink more than two glasses in less than two hours.
• In 2019, around 1 million Americans aged 18 and older were diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. From this population, 8.9 million are male, while 5.2 million are female.
• In 2019, there were approximately 414,000 individuals aged 12 to 17 years who were suffering from alcohol use disorder.

How many deaths are caused by binge drinking and alcoholism?

In 2015, there were approximately 95,000 individuals who died from vehicular accidents and violence due to alcohol intoxication and binge drinking. From this data, 68,000 were male, while 27,000 were female. Having said that, alcoholism is considered the third factor causing the death of people in the U.S.

Economic Problem Brought by Alcohol Use Disorder in the U.S.

Besides the accidents caused by alcohol intoxication, it also burdened the economy of the country. Here are some data reporting the financial expenses incurred in the country due to alcoholism:

• In 2010, the cost induced by alcohol use disorder sums up to $249 billion. This cost includes hospital expenses, peace and order, and productivity loss due to alcoholism.
• Around 75% of the $249 billion expense is due to binge drinking.

What’s the status of alcoholism and its health-related diseases in the United States?

When you drink too much for a longer duration, it will cause severe health consequences that could lead to death. With that being said, here are important data showing cases of health-related diseases due to alcoholism and binge drinking.

• From the 83,517 deaths caused by liver disease, around 42.8% of them were people with AUD. Based on this group, around 52,499 were male, then the rest were
• Deaths related to cirrhosis occurred most at the age group 25 to 34, and most of them were reported to be heavy drinkers.
• One out of three liver transplants in the U.S. were done on people with AUD.
• Studies showed that most drinking increases your risk of acquiring cancer diseases on the mouth, liver, breast, pharynx, esophagus, and larynx.

How dangerous is binge drinking?

You commit binge drinking when you grab more than five or four drinks in less than two hours. Having said that, you won’t easily notice the dangers when you suddenly drown your body with too much alcohol, so we are outlining these dangers below:

• You might experience a blackout which can put you at risk of falling and getting injured or fractured.
• You are more likely to do unhealthy acts like unprotected sex.
• You might get into a fight when you’re drunk.
• There’s a higher chance that you or any drunk person can commit homicide, physical abuse, or sexual harassment.

When is the right time to seek treatment?

Binge drinking occurs in any age group and even for minors, which makes it an alarming situation in the United States. If ever you are part of the population of binge drinkers, it’s wise that you consult with a doctor or addiction specialist as early as possible.

Remember that alcohol use disorder is a treatable disease, as long as you are willing and committed to undergo rehab treatment. Having said that, you can search for a reputable rehab center near you and inquire about their services.