Who Dies the Most from Binge Drinking?

Talk about a sobering stat: Middle-aged guys make up the majority of binge-drinking deaths each year, finds a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the report, six people die in the U.S. every day as a direct result of alcohol poisoning, mostly from binge drinking. And guys old enough to know better are leading the pack. Men aged 35 to 54 make up 55 percent of these drinking-related deaths in men, and 42 percent of them overall—including both men and women.


For context, young guys in the high school- to college-aged range—15 to 24—comprise only 4 percent of the total alcohol poisoning deaths.

Chronic health conditions, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, do tend to crop up more with age, which may play a role in the greater percentage of middle-aged deaths. But the age group that would have the sharpest spike in these conditions—65 and older—actually showed death rates very similar to those of the youngest group.


The more likely explanation, then, is that these middle-age men are simply just boozing a lot, at both a high frequency and amount, says study author Robert Brewer, M.D., M.S.P.H.

How Bad Is the Problem?

Binge drinking is common in men and women, but guys tend to do it more often and to a greater extent. According to a 2012 CDC study, nearly one quarter of guys say they binge drink, meaning they down 5 or more alcoholic beverages in a short time. And these men average 5 episodes a month, usually tipping back nine drinks each time.

We don’t need to say why that’s dangerous, but we will anyway: The long-term effects of excess alcohol can include heart damage, stroke, liver disease, and even certain types of cancer like colorectal and mouth and throat. (Plus, find out How a Night Out with Friends Can Hurt Your Heart.)

But drink enough too quickly, and the effects become acute—and deadly. When you drink to excess, your system becomes loaded with alcohol. This anesthetizes critical areas of your brain, which control vital body functions like breathing, heart rate, and temperature regulation, says Dr. Brewer. At high enough levels, this can cause these areas to shut down, which can kill you.

What Can You Do to Prevent It?

The simple answer? Stop binge drinking. And that doesn't mean to creep just under the magical 5-drink threshold. Instead, Dr. Brewer recommends you cap your booze at two drinks a day.

You’ll also want to be more careful if you have liver disease—say, chronic infection with hepatitis C—or if you’re taking pain meds like narcotics or even over-the-counter Tylenol. This can lead to more serious interactions with alcohol.

Ask your doc about possible interactions with any other meds you might be taking. And don’t forget about one of the most common drugs: caffeine.

Mixing caffeine with alcohol, especially in the form of energy drinks, can be especially dangerous, says Dr. Brewer. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it tends to counteract the sleepy effect alcohol brings. This can hamper your ability to judge the cues you use to moderate your consumption. As a result, you may end up drinking way more than you intended.