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Excessive alcohol consumption ranks as the third leading cause of preventable deaths in the United States, a sobering fact highlighted by research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Their data reveals that alcohol played a role in more than 140,000 fatalities annually between 2015 and 2019, translating to over 380 lives lost each day. Tragically, those succumbing to the consequences of excessive drinking do so, on average, 26 years prematurely.
To shed light on the prevalence of heavy or binge drinking across the nation, 24/7 Tempo delved into statistics on adults aged 18 and older reporting such behaviors in various metropolitan areas. This information was sourced from the 2022 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, a collaboration between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, using county-level data aggregated to the metro level.
The consequences of sustained and excessive alcohol intake extend far beyond the immediate effects, often leading to chronic conditions and long-term health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease and certain cancers.
While the national average indicates that approximately 20% of adult Americans engage in binge or heavy drinking, the rates exhibit considerable variation from one city to another and among states.
For instance, in Texas, the "drunkest city" is Corpus Christi, where 21.6% of adults binge drink or drink heavily. Driving deaths involving alcohol falls at around 20.7% compared to Texas as a whole at 25.4%. The median household income in Corpus Christi is $56,714, while the statewide average household income is $63,826. The metro area population is 429,120.