Quick Facts – Adults:

• 1 in 6 adults in the US binge drinks. 
• Of adults in the US who binge drink, about 25% report binge drinking at least once per week.
• Binge drinking is most common among adults between the ages of 18 and 34 and twice as common among men than among women. 
• In the United States alone, about 2,300 people die every year from alcohol poisoning related to binge drinking. 
• Binge drinking cost the United States about $191 billion in 2010 for lost productivity, health care costs, and criminal justice costs.
• Almost all adults (90%) who report drinking alcohol heavily also binge drink.

What is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking is another term for excessive alcohol use. It is a common and deadly health problem in the United States. For men, binge drinking is defined as having 5 or more drinks on one occasion, and for women, it is having 4 or more drinks on one occasion. Binge drinking has been associated with health problems including:

• Unintentional injuries from car accidents, falls, and alcohol poisoning
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Chronic diseases like high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease
• Cancer

Binge Drinking in Our Community

Darker colors on the maps indicate worse outcomes.

In 2018, 17.7% of Taylor County residents reported binge drinking. That’s approximately 1 in 6 residents. In 2019, the rate of binge drinking in Taylor County increased slightly to 18.1%, which is 1 in 5.5 residents. The Taylor County zip code with the highest rate of binge drinking was 79607. In this zip code, 29% of residents, or about 1 in 3.5 residents, reported binge drinking. The zip code in Taylor County with the lowest rate of binge drinking was 79566 with only 14.9% of residents reporting binge drinking.

Data value category ranges: 25.2 – 29.5 | 29.6 – 33.9 | 34.0 – 38.3 | 38.4 – 42.7 | 42.8 – 47.3