CDC study: Binge drinkers prefer beer

2007-08-08

WASHINGTON. Three-quarters of binge drinkers chose beer over other types of alcohol, in part because it is more readily available, according to a study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the U.S., about 30 percent of adults who drink alcohol reported binge drinking in the month before the survey, researchers said after a study of 14 states. A total of 81.8 percent of such drinkers in North Dakota consumed more beer to excess than other alcoholic drinks. Those in Maine had 6.6 beers, the largest number of servings. Californians consumed the most wine, 14.6 percent of total drinks.

Binge drinking, defined as having five or more drinks on one occasion, accounts for more than half of deaths related to alcohol. Beer was the most common drink consumed by those most likely to get drunk and hurt themselves or someone else, the authors wrote in the study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

“Drinking alcohol in and of itself isn’t a bad thing, but what we’re trying to focus on is the patterns with which people drink,” said lead author Timothy S. Naimi, a CDC physician who practices in Zuni, N.M.

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