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Americans Binge-Drinking More

Binge drinking is a bigger problem in the United States than previously thought. Adults binge drink more frequently and consume more drinks when they do, according to the CDC.

While binge drinking is more common among those with household incomes in excess of $75,000, the largest number of drinks consumed per occasion was greatest for those with household incomes of less than $25,000. Also somewhat surprising: while binge drinking is most common among 18-34 year-olds – when those 65+ binge drink – they do so more frequently.

New Distracted Driving Measure Shows Alcohol Is Still The Bigger Threat

New Distracted Driving Measure Shows Alcohol Is Still The Bigger Threat

The safety threat posed by drivers who text and talk behind the wheel generates a lot of heat, but drinking and driving remains the bigger problem, according to the latest highway fatality statistics from the U.S. government.

Distracted driving accounted for about nine percent of all highway fatalities in the U.S. in 2010, while 31% of deaths were linked to alcohol, according to a new measure of distracted driving deaths released as part of a U.S. Transportation Department report Thursday. http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811552.pdf

A Few Drinks a Week Raises Breast Cancer Risk

A recent New York Times blog by Anahad O’Conner concluded that even a moderate amount of alcohol consumption may increase breast cancer risk. Some women who drink to their health may want to reconsider. A new study shows that women who routinely have even small amounts of alcohol, as few as three drinks a week, have an elevated risk of breast cancer.

The research, which looked at the habits of more than 100,000 women over 30 years, adds to a long line of studies linking alcohol consumption of any kind — whether beer, wine or spirits — to an increased risk of breast cancer. But until now the bulk of the research largely focused on higher levels of alcohol intake. The latest study is among the first to assess the effect of relatively small amounts of alcohol over long periods of time, drawing on a large population of women to provide new detail about the breast cancer risks associated with different patterns of drinking.

New research suggests: Drinking Age of 21 Saves 1,200 Women a Year

The 1984 federal act established 21 as the minimum legal drinking age. Since then, several studies have seemingly validated this move by linking the previous drinking age of 18 to higher rates of suicides, homicides, DUI accidents, and alcohol- and drug-use disorders during the years when those restrictions were in effect. It's unclear, however, if these negative consequences endure.

The study, "The Legacy of Minimum Legal Drinking Age Law Changes: Long-Term Effects on Suicide and Homicide Deaths Among Women," and published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, analyzed data on living populations from the U.S. Census and American Community Survey as well as records from the U.S. Multiple Cause of Death files, 1990-2004. The combined files contained information on more than 200,000 suicides and 130,000 homicides for people who turned 18 between 1967 and 1989, the years that legal drinking ages were in flux.

Report: Sharp Rise in Hospitalizations Tied to Energy Drinks

Emergency room visits linked to energy drink consumption have surged in recent years, according to a report released on Tuesday, as more people combine the popular beverages with alcohol and drugs.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said hospitalizations in the United States tied to energy drinks have jumped tenfold to 13,114 in 2009 from 1,128 visits in 2005. The most recent year for which data is available is 2009.

The agency, a unit of the Department of Health and Human Services, said that 44 percent of the visits involved people who had combined the stimulant-rich drinks with alcohol, pharmaceuticals or illicit drugs.

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