NARRATOR: Today, more than half of the alcohol consumed
by adults in the U.S.
occurs during a pattern of behavior
known as "binge drinking" --
a risky behavior that can lead to illness,
injury, and even death.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
defines binge drinking
as "consumption that raises blood-alcohol content to .08%,"
the cut-off point for driving while impaired
in all 50 states.
DR. BREWER: Binge drinking is an extremely dangerous pattern
of alcohol consumption,
which is defined as four or more drinks per occasion for a woman,
five or more drinks per occasion for a man.
DR. JERNIGAN: And we estimate
that there are approximately 1.5 billion episodes
of binge drinking in the U.S. each year.
NARRATOR: Binge drinking literally fuels dangerous behavior.
Binge drinkers are 14 times more likely to report driving drunk
than non-binge drinkers.
DR. JERNIGAN: 88% of impaired-driving events
are caused by binge drinkers.
DR. BREWER: Binge drinking is associated
with over half of the 79,000 alcohol-attributable deaths
that we estimate occur in the United States each year.
NARRATOR: Though many doctors consider binge drinking
to be a dangerous health behavior,
many Americans think that binge drinking is socially acceptable.
DR. JERNIGAN: Alcohol's the most widely available drug of intoxication
in our society.
NARRATOR: This dangerous pattern of over-consumption
contributes to illness, injury, and death
through car crashes, violence, HIV/AIDS, and more.
DR. BREWER: Binge drinking is also associated
with a wide range of health and social problems,
including unintended pregnancy,
sexually transmitted diseases,
interpersonal violence,
and the list goes on and on.
NARRATOR: The truth is that most binge drinkers
are adults who drink too much on occasion.
DR. BREWER: We estimate that about 70%
of the 1.5 billion episodes of binge drinking
that occur in the United States each year
involve people who are 26 years and older.
DR. JERNIGAN: The majority of problems, of alcohol problems,
are caused by people
who think that they're not problem drinkers.
DR. BREWER: There's good scientific evidence
that over 80% of binge drinkers
are not alcohol-dependent or alcoholics.
NARRATOR: Unlike other high-risk health behaviors,
the risk of binge drinking goes up with socio-economic status.
DR. JERNIGAN: In fact, binge drinkers
most commonly make more than $50,000 a year.
Binge drinking is a problem for individuals,
but it's a problem that is engendered
by community environments that are supportive of this behavior.
DR. BREWER: We need to implement effective community-based strategies
to prevent binge drinking.
DR. JERNIGAN: The single most effective thing we could do
to reduce binge drinking
would be to increase alcohol taxes.
DR. BREWER: So, too, is reducing the number of places
where people can purchase alcohol in a community.
DR. JERNIGAN: Reducing days and hours of sale
is another important strategy.
NARRATOR: Communities need to create an environment
that discourages underage and binge drinking.
DR. BREWER: We need to maintain and also enforce
the age-21 minimum legal drinking age.
NARRATOR: Armed with these strategies,
communities can begin to fight back
against the proliferation of alcohol outlets,
advertising, and drink specials.
DR. BREWER: We need to de-normalize binge drinking
as a pattern of alcohol consumption.
DR. JERNIGAN: It is far too risky and harmful a pattern of drinking.
NARRATOR: Binge drinking --
It's a clear health threat for the drinker
and for society.
Be responsible to your family, your community, and yourself.
Don't binge drink.