Alcohol Poisoning kills about six Americans on a daily basis.
On Tuesday, the Center for Disease Control reported that roughly six Americans died from alcohol poisoning daily from 2010-2012. The CDC reports that 76 percent of those that die from alcohol poisoning are male.
On their website, the CDC published information from a study regarding the issue of alcohol poisoning among Americans.
“Alcohol poisoning is caused by drinking large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time. Very high levels of alcohol in the body can shutdown critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, resulting in death. Alcohol poisoning deaths affect people of all ages but are most common among middle-aged adults and men,” stated the CDC on their website.
2,200 individuals die of alcohol poisoning in the United States every year. About three quarters of the alcohol deaths occur in individuals between the ages of 35 and 64; 35 percent of total alcohol poisoning deaths occur in individuals aged 45-54. The CDC also reported that most of the deaths occur among “non-Hispanic whites”. About 68 percent of the total deaths were of non-Hispanic whites. American Indians and Alaska Natives have the most deaths per million due to alcohol poisoning compared to any other race. An average of 49 per million American Indians and Alaska Natives pass away from alcohol poisoning, and the rest of the U.S. has an average of 9 deaths per million.
Alaska has the most alcohol poisoning deaths, followed by New Mexico and Rhode Island. Alabama has the least, followed by Texas and Illinois.
The CDC stated that binge drinking was the main cause of alcohol poisoning; the definition of binge drinking includes the consumption of 4 or more drinks for women and 5 or more for men. On the average, US adults binge drink an amount of 8 drinks at a time, which results in high levels of alcohol in the body.
According to the CDC, to address the problem, communities and states should “support proven programs and policies that decrease binge drinking. States with stronger alcohol policies have less binge drinking.”
Adults men are advised to drink up to two drinks a day, while women should drink up to one, stated the CDC.
