New data from the Greater Cincinnati Community Health Status Survey (CHSS) has found that 19 percent of Southeast Indiana adults reported binge drinking in the month before the survey was conducted. The results are similar to the national rate of 17 percent and the overall regional rate of 20 percent.
Binge drinking is defined as having 5 or more drinks on one occasion for men and 4 or more drinks for women.
More than 4 in 10 adults had at least one alcoholic drink in the 30 days before the survey and about 8 percent reported heavy drinking in the past month.
The rates of drinking in Southeast Indiana are lower than the region and the nation; the rates of heavy drinking are similar to the nation and the region.
The CHSS found that factors such as age, education and gender make a difference in drinking behavior.
“While drinking in moderation may not affect your health,” says Ann Barnum, Senior Program Officer, Healthy Choices about Substance Abuse, Interact for Health, “studies show that heavy drinking over time is associated with a range of medical problems including liver, kidney and pancreas disease; cancers; ulcers and digestive problems; premature aging; memory and cognitive problems; and birth defects.”
