Binge Drinking: Seniors Engage Most Often, Says Study

Next round is on the seniors. A study released this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), reveals that adults over 65 years old binge drink more often than any other age group.

According to the CDC, more than 38 million Americans binge drink around four times per month, knocking back as many as eight drinks in a sitting. While the study indicates that more young adults, ages 18 to 34, participate in binge drinking than any other age group, the over-65 crowd binge-drinks the most frequently: an average of five to six times each month. The study describes binge drinking as four or more drinks for a woman and five or more drinks for a man.

"Binge drinking by adults has a huge public health impact, and influences the drinking behavior of underage youth by the example it sets," said Pamela S. Hyde, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrator, in a statement. "We need to reduce binge drinking by adults to prevent the immediate and long–term effects it has on the health of adults and youth."

Seniors may be particularly susceptible to health risks from alcohol consumption, according to the National Institute on Aging. For example, alcohol may have an increased effect on older drinkers. Alcohol may also be dangerous when combined with certain medications -- such as pain killers, sleep aids, and anti-depressants -- so older people should investigate whether they can drink while taking any medicine. And alcohol may worsen or cause certain medical conditions that may afflict seniors, such as osteoporosis, stroke, memory loss and high blood pressure.

Binge drinking has also been found among the baby boomer population. A study published in "The American Journal of Psychiatry" in 2009 uncovered binge drinking in 22 percent of men and 9 percent of women who were 50 - 64 years old.

The prevalence of binge drinking in older adults isn't the only surprising finding from the CDC's study. Check out the slide show below to see what else the study revealed and to view the CDC's video on the health risks of binge drinking.

For more information on alcohol abuse:
Alcoholics Anonymous
Al Anon
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Alcohol and Public Health

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Comments

[DesertStormSeabee]

01:57 PM on 03/20/2012

um! I just turned fifty, white male, retired military, and I just cracked a bottle of bourbon. I think I will have more than 8.5 drinks today. Yes it bad for my health. Not good for my blood pressure disease, or my cholesterol. My die young, but has that Billy Joel sang it, " Only the good die young."

[Rteefact]

10:12 AM on 01/14/2012

I actually drink less now than when I was younger and working. Those every night after works sessions now don't happen. I do enjoy a real fine well crafted beer and have been taken with bourbon Manhattans. We do like them potent.

I know people that I grew up with that sadly still do the binge drinking as if they were still in school. There are plenty of places and social halls around where drinking is more like a hobby. They have a daytime shift and early evening shifts.

[Ceselli]

05:01 AM on 01/13/2012

Some of the comment are funny but this is a serious problem.....
But seniors........... ah really......
Binge drinking can also lead to death
Sad..............

[schatsie]

07:40 AM on 01/13/2012

Well when you are told you need 25 times your annual income to retire and Wall Street has plundered your 401K and the profits of your company have gone to the 1%, OF COURSE you will want to drink, to self suicide....(by that I mean accidental suicide, like the soldiers in small towns who drink and ride their motorcycles at 2 in the morning...)

[elogco]

10:20 AM on 01/13/2012

Living leads to death.

[kasel1]

02:43 AM on 01/13/2012

Five drinks is binge drinking? Sounds like lunch to me. Just like Bogey, I can't trust a man who doesn't drink heavily.

[antigaychristianssuck]

09:10 AM on 01/13/2012

Well he made it all the way to 57. (BTW I have nothing against avoiding old age if you've had a really good time.)

[elogco]

10:21 AM on 01/13/2012

But, he also smoked like a chimney. His diet probably wasn't too good, either.

[DesertStormSeabee]

01:59 PM on 03/20/2012

I hear ya there.

[twbnana]

02:10 AM on 01/13/2012

How many seniors really have good communication with the kids? Not many kids are trying there butts off, working not to loose their homes! When you are poor- kids try better, not to let the next be sad and heart broken.

[Ceselli]

04:58 AM on 01/13/2012

Wha um have you been hitting the ole pint this morning ...lol all in fun re-read what you wrote mate.....

[fhmjam]

01:55 AM on 01/13/2012

What? NOT nutty 18-25 year old girls?

[TomMartin]

12:34 AM on 01/13/2012

Interesting. I am almost a senior, yet I have never binge drunk. I am afraid of becoming drunk. Will that change when I am a senior? Maybe if I become senile.

[Packfan91387]

12:30 AM on 01/13/2012

I need a job, not a drink, but until that happens....

Cheers!

[jvinylman502]

11:58 PM on 01/12/2012

Let em' drink.they have fought in wars and now have to deal with this economy.I found out that if I have 5 drinks I'm ona binge , I call it just getting started.

[elogco]

10:29 AM on 01/13/2012

Yeah, like, ah, ya go to a sports bar to catch a game, right? Grab some suds, right? Here comes the server. Nah, I've had my limit of one. Git me a glass of milk. Might as well stay at home, right? But, what's the fun in that? Staying at home and not socializing will kill you quicker than doo. The trick, boys & girls, is like my mom said don't drink on an empty stomach and know when you've had enough. Bottoms up.

[jvinylman502]

04:48 PM on 01/13/2012

Right on

[Jim bob]

09:25 PM on 01/14/2012

Can you imagine losing everything you've worked for when you're 60--nobody will give you a chance at another job, you haven't got social security, you probably won't be able to get unemployment without a DNA sample--and you're being foreclosed, and your car won't make it to the nearest mechanic. And your back is killing you from the shrapnel that's been there 40 years.

Ok, that isn't all personal--but I know people who meet almost all of those criteria. Yep, when I first saw the title of this one, I thought, well, duh, how could you not?

[jvinylman502]

09:49 PM on 01/14/2012

Speaking of military , I hear from a new book that obama wasn't so interested in seeing them , just another photo op. Our gov needs to do more for the people that give all of us the right for freedom , even those who don't know how to respect it.

[moeelmore]

11:05 PM on 01/12/2012

I dont think these people have any idea of what binge drinking is.

[Jim bob]

09:27 PM on 01/14/2012

Good point. One person above said it "sounds like lunch to me". I'm not quite in that category but back when I did drink, it sounds like Saturday afternoon, at worst.

[joeshop8]

10:48 PM on 01/12/2012

I never thought of Seniors as binge drinkers, most of the Saloons I frequent are People in Their twenties that do the binge drinking. I suppose as long as nobody drives drink all You want.

[DesertStormSeabee]

02:02 PM on 03/20/2012

You will usually find them at the bar during the day and early evening. They will go home early and drink at home to avoid a DWI and all the crazy young generation. How do I know. Experience I guess...lol

[Bill Ridenour]

09:36 PM on 01/12/2012

I would rather have a full bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

[schatsie]

07:42 AM on 01/13/2012

Question is why would you want either? Frankly, it is time to get over the drug war when you see stats like this....better to be stoned than wreck your liver.....

[DesertStormSeabee]

02:04 PM on 03/20/2012

had a colonosocopy yesterday. Doc said no drinking afterwards for 24 hours because of the sedation. Well I gave it 3 hours and got me a pint. I slept like a baby all night. Feel so great to day think I will drink another pint....lol

[irocker350]

09:15 PM on 01/12/2012

In my 20s it was gin or vodka, in my 30s it was jack daniels, in my early to mid 40s it was cuervo 1800, then bacardi gold, now I like canadian club.
Haven't worked for 1 year and am drinking 1 or 2 1 liter bottles per week wash it down with coronas
but only do it at home, bas are expensive and absolutely do NOT drive after that first drink, taxis are a whole lot cheaper than a DWI.

[elogco]

10:31 AM on 01/13/2012

Damn, how old are you now, dude?

[irocker350]

07:42 PM on 01/13/2012

55 n counting

[dav0001]

08:37 PM on 01/12/2012

Seniors in college maybe...

[GaryNOVA]

08:22 PM on 01/12/2012

Is it me?