Overall Drinking Down - Binge Drinking On The Rise

Harmful drinking practices are a major concern in the United States, particularly binge drinking among teenagers and young adults. Binge drinking is often defined as consuming five or more alcoholic beverages (male), or four or more drinks (female), over a 2-hour period. While overall drinking in developed countries is on the decline, new research indicates that hazardous drinking is on the rise, the Associated Press reports.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is comprised of 34 nations, found that in the past two decades overall alcohol consumption has declined. However, young people engaging in binge drinking is a “major public health and social concern,” the OECD stated in the new report.

Some of the developed nations which are part of the OECD include:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Australia
• Canada
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Mexico
• Spain
• Sweden

The report found that the proportion of boys, aged 15 and younger, who have been drunk rose to 43 percent from 30 percent during the 2000s, according to the article. With girls, the proportion rose to 41 percent from 26 percent during the same time period.

“The cost to society and the economy of excessive alcohol consumption around the world is massive, especially in OECD countries,” OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría said in a news release. “This report provides clear evidence that even expensive alcohol abuse prevention policies are cost-effective in the long run and underlines the need for urgent action by governments.”