A fair amount of the population of the United States drinks alcohol, but there is a faded line growing between heavy drinking and casual drinking. More and more people are becoming binge drinkers without realizing it. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) states that binge drinking, or heavy drinking, constitutes drinking four drinks (women) or 5 drinks (men) in 2 hours. However, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (NSDUH) asserts that heavy drinking is 5 or more drinks (men) or 4 or more drinks (women) in at least one day within the past month.
Overall, different institutes define heavy drinking in similar, but different ways. 25.7% of people aged 25-34 in the United States alone, binge drink according to the definitions of heavy drinking provided by the NIAAA and NSDUH. This number gradually decreases from 19.6% in 35 to44-year-olds to 4.6% in 65-year-olds. Older individuals seem to be less interested in heavy alcohol consumption, likely due to a greater focus on family and physical health. Younger individuals are still young enough to withstand and get through health problems, whereas older individuals already face rising health concerns. Most health problems from poor dieting or risky lifestyle choices start showing up after the age of 50.
Should Heavy Drinking be Redefined?
Reports show that heavy drinking has increased in the United States by 17.2% since 2005 and in 2012, 8.2% of Americans were considered heavy drinkers and 18.3% were considered binge drinkers. Many articles online and statistics seem to use the terms binge drinking and heavy drinking interchangeably, which suggests that both terms mean the same thing. If this is true, then 25.4% of Americans were heavy drinkers, or binge drinkers, in 2012. Nevertheless, heavy drinking has increased a significant amount in the United States, but this may not mean that the definition of heavy drinking should be changed.
Cultures evolve over time, whether the evolution is of social norms, laws, or frowned-upon behaviors. Although, just because heavy drinking has increased in the culture of the United States, this does not entail that the definition of heavy drinking should be changed. In other words, the behaviors involved in heavy drinking have changed, but the definition of those behaviors is still objective. Heavy drinking once in a blue moon is one thing, but heavy drinking every week can pose potential long-term health risks if the practice continues.
Signs of Problematic Heavy Drinking
When someone expresses guilt or regret about their drinking, then that individual may be getting closer to alcohol dependence, an addiction to alcohol. Once dependence starts, the individual will often lie and may dip into their savings account to purchase more alcohol. These are clear signs of desperation to continue their alcohol use beyond just the occasional social drink. The main sign to watch out for when it comes to dangerous levels of heavy drinking is whether the drinking is starting to affect daily life. That is when alcohol use becomes a real problem, not to mention the potential health risks.
If you know someone who is showing signs of alcohol dependence, please consider encouraging that individual to seek help at a professional treatment center like Asana Recovery, which offers a supportive environment with detox and residential rehabilitation. Do so before the situation gets worse, but it is never too late. Contact (949) 438-4504 to learn more about their treatment programs.
