DRINK RESPONSIBLY

CDC: Over-drinking Claims 88K U.S. Lives

Every year.

Every year from 2006 to 2010, binge drinking, excessive weekly consumption of alcohol and drinking while underage or pregnant claimed 88,000 lives, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That amounts to one in 10 deaths of people between the ages of 20 and 64 years old, meaning that a person who died under these circumstances lost an average of 30 years from their lifespan. “We’re talking about a large economic impact, people who are contributing to society,” epidemiologist Mandy Stahre, one of the authors of the study, told USA Today. “They’re in the prime of their lives, whether they’re building up careers or midcareer. A lot of attention we tend to focus on is maybe college drinking or just drunk driving.” Stahre hopes that the statistics will lead to increased regulations, such as an increased tax on alcoholic beverages sold in stores.