Data on Excessive Drinking
- Excessive alcohol use includes binge drinking (drinking 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men or 4 or more drinks on an occasion for women), heavy drinking (drinking 15 or more drinks per week for men or 8 or more drinks per week for women), and any alcohol use by people younger than 21 or pregnant women.
- Excessive alcohol use is associated with an increased risk of injuries, chronic diseases such as liver disease and heart disease, several cancers, and poor pregnancy outcomes.
- According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, more than half of US adults report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days. About 16% of adults binge drink and 6% report heavy drinking. Nearly all adults who drink heavily also binge drink.
- According to the ARDI application, during 2011–2015, excessive alcohol use was responsible for 95,000 deaths each year, on average, and 2.8 million years of potential life lost. Almost half of these deaths and three-quarters of the years of potential life lost were due to binge drinking.
The prevalence of binge drinking, the number of drinks consumed (intensity), and how often people binge drink (frequency) affect the risk for injury, disease, and death.
| State | Binge drinking prevalence*, % (95% CI) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 17.4 (17.2–17.7) |
| Alabama | 13.6 (12.3–15.0) |
| Alaska | 16.0 (14.0–18.3) |
| Arizona | 16.7 (15.2–18.3) |
| Arkansas | 16.0 (14.3–17.9) |
| California | 16.6 (15.7–17.5) |
| Colorado | 19.8 (18.7–20.9) |
| Connecticut | 18.7 (17.4–20.0) |
| Delaware | 18.3 (16.7–20.1) |
| District of Columbia | 22.5 (20.7–24.3) |
| Florida | 17.5 (16.2–19.0) |
| Georgia | 15.1 (14.1–16.1) |
| Hawaii | 20.9 (19.5–22.3) |
| Idaho | 16.0 (14.2–17.8) |
| Illinois | 20.5 (19.1–22.0) |
| Indiana | 17.1 (15.9–18.5) |
| Iowa | 24.5 (23.4–25.6) |
| Kansas | 16.7 (15.7–17.8) |
| Kentucky | 15.8 (14.4–17.4) |
| Louisiana | 18.1 (16.5–19.7) |
| Maine | 19.5 (17.9–21.2) |
| Maryland | 14.5 (13.6–15.5) |
| Massachusetts | 21.1 (19.6–22.6) |
| Michigan | 19.8 (18.7–20.9) |
| Minnesota | 21.7 (20.9–22.5) |
| Mississippi | 13.7 (12.3–15.2) |
| Missouri | 18.9 (17.3–20.6) |
| Montana | 19.7 (18.1–21.5) |
| Nebraska | 22.5 (21.4–23.7) |
| Nevada | 16.0 (14.1–18.1) |
| New Hampshire | 18.3 (16.6–20.2) |
| New Jersey | 14.4 (12.4–16.6) |
| New Mexico | 15.6 (14.2–17.1) |
| New York | 17.6 (16.8–18.4) |
| North Carolina | 15.8 (14.4–17.4) |
| North Dakota | 22.7 (21.1–24.5) |
| Ohio | 17.2 (16.0–18.4) |
| Oklahoma | 13.6 (12.3–15.1) |
| Oregon | 17.0 (15.8–18.3) |
| Pennsylvania | 18.5 (17.2–19.9) |
| Rhode Island | 17.8 (16.1–19.6) |
| South Carolina | 16.3 (15.1–17.5) |
| South Dakota | 22.3 (20.3–24.4) |
| Tennessee | 15.7 (14.1–17.4) |
| Texas | 17.6 (16.1–19.2) |
| Utah | 10.5 ( 9.8–11.3) |
| Vermont | 18.5 (16.9–20.2) |
| Virginia | 16.4 (15.3–17.6) |
| Washington | 15.4 (14.5–16.4) |
| West Virginia | 13.9 (12.5–15.4) |
| Wisconsin | 25.8 (24.1–27.7) |
| Wyoming | 18.5 (16.9–20.2) |
Abbreviation: CI=confidence interval.
* Prevalence estimates were age-standardized to the 2000 U.S. Census population.
| No. of drinks*(95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | 75th Percentile | |
| Overall, unadjusted | 5.5 (5.5–5.5) | 7.7 (7.6–7.8) |
| Alabama | 5.5 (5.3–5.6) | 7.2 (6.5–8.0) |
| Alaska | 5.4 (5.2–5.6) | 7.1 (6.0–7.6) |
| Arizona | 5.5 (5.4–5.7) | 7.9 (7.3–9.1) |
| Arkansas | 5.6 (5.4–5.8) | 9.2 (7.4–9.7) |
| California | 5.5 (5.4–5.6) | 7.7 (7.4–8.2) |
| Colorado | 5.6 (5.5–5.7) | 7.6 (7.3–7.8) |
| Connecticut | 5.2 (5.1–5.3) | 6.5 (6.0–6.9) |
| Delaware | 5.3 (5.0–5.5) | 7.3 (6.6–7.8) |
| District of Columbia | 5.2 (5.0–5.4) | 6.7 (6.0–7.2) |
| Florida | 5.5 (5.3–5.6) | 7.3 (6.9–7.7) |
| Georgia | 5.3 (5.1–5.5) | 7.5 (7.1–7.9) |
| Hawaii | 5.7 (5.5–5.8) | 9.2 (7.9–9.6) |
| Idaho | 5.8 (5.6–6.1) | 9.1 (7.7–9.7) |
| Illinois | 5.7 (5.5–5.8) | 9.1 (7.8–9.5) |
| Indiana | 5.6 (5.4–5.8) | 9.1 (7.8–9.6) |
| Iowa | 5.8 (5.7–5.9) | 9.2 (8.8–9.4) |
| Kansas | 5.6 (5.5–5.7) | 7.8 (7.5–9.0) |
| Kentucky | 5.7 (5.5–5.9) | 8.8 (7.5–9.4) |
| Louisiana | 5.5 (5.3–5.6) | 7.4 (6.7–8.0) |
| Maine | 5.4 (5.2–5.5) | 7.1 (6.5–7.8) |
| Maryland | 5.3 (5.2–5.5) | 7.0 (6.6–7.3) |
| Massachusetts | 5.4 (5.2–5.5) | 7.0 (6.5–7.6) |
| Michigan | 5.6 (5.4–5.7) | 7.9 (7.6–9.0) |
| Minnesota | 5.5 (5.4–5.6) | 7.7 (7.5–7.9) |
| Mississippi | 5.7 (5.5–5.9) | 9.4 (7.8–10.3) |
| Missouri | 5.5 (5.3–5.7) | 7.7 (7.1–9.0) |
| Montana | 5.4 (5.3–5.6) | 7.3 (6.8–7.8) |
| Nebraska | 5.6 (5.5–5.7) | 8.0 (7.6–9.1) |
| Nevada | 5.5 (5.2–5.7) | 7.8 (6.7–9.3) |
| New Hampshire | 5.5 (5.3–5.7) | 7.6 (6.9–8.3) |
| New Jersey | 5.2 (4.9–5.6) | 7.3 (6.3–9.1) |
| New Mexico | 5.5 (5.3–5.7) | 7.9 (7.2–9.4) |
| New York | 5.4 (5.3–5.5) | 7.1 (6.8–7.4) |
| North Carolina | 5.4 (5.3–5.6) | 7.0 (6.4–7.7) |
| North Dakota | 5.9 (5.7–6.3) | 9.4 (9.1–9.7) |
| Ohio | 5.7 (5.5–5.8) | 8.2 (7.7–9.2) |
| Oklahoma | 5.6 (5.4–5.8) | 7.9 (7.2–9.3) |
| Oregon | 5.5 (5.4–5.6) | 7.4 (6.9–7.8) |
| Pennsylvania | 5.5 (5.3–5.6) | 7.9 (7.4–9.1) |
| Rhode Island | 5.4 (5.1–5.6) | 7.2 (6.7–7.7) |
| South Carolina | 5.7 (5.5–5.8) | 8.4 (7.7–9.3) |
| South Dakota | 5.7 (5.5–5.9) | 7.9 (7.4–9.2) |
| Tennessee | 5.5 (5.3–5.7) | 7.6 (6.9–9.1) |
| Texas | 5.6 (5.4–5.8) | 9.0 (7.6–9.5) |
| Utah | 5.6 (5.4–5.7) | 7.8 (7.4–8.7) |
| Vermont | 5.5 (5.2–5.7) | 7.5 (7.0–8.0) |
| Virginia | 5.5 (5.3–5.6) | 7.2 (6.8–7.7) |
| Washington | 5.3 (5.1–5.4) | 6.8 (6.3–7.2) |
| West Virginia | 6.4 (5.9–7.2) | 9.8 (9.2–11.3) |
| Wisconsin | 5.5 (5.4–5.7) | 7.5 (7.0–7.9) |
| Wyoming | 5.5 (5.4–5.7) | 7.5 (6.8–8.8) |
Abbreviation: CI = confidence interval.
* Largest number of drinks consumed on an occasion in the past 30 days among adults who reported binge drinking.
Binge drinking frequency among adults aged ≥18 years who binge drank in the past 30 days, by state — Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, United States,* 2018
| No. of occasions* (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Median | 75th Percentile | |
| Overall, unadjusted | 1.7 (1.7–1.7) | 4.0 (3.9–4.1) |
| Alabama | 1.7 (1.5–1.9) | 4.0 (3.4–4.6) |
| Alaska | 1.9 (1.4–2.7) | 4.4 (3.7–5.1) |
| Arizona | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 3.8 (3.2–4.3) |
| Arkansas | 1.9 (1.6–2.3) | 4.5 (3.8–5.5) |
| California | 1.6 (1.4–1.7) | 3.7 (3.4–3.9) |
| Colorado | 1.6 (1.4–1.7) | 3.7 (3.4–4.0) |
| Connecticut | 1.6 (1.4–1.7) | 3.5 (3.1–3.8) |
| Delaware | 1.7 (1.5–2.0) | 4.4 (3.8–5.2) |
| District of Columbia | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 3.4 (2.9–4.0) |
| Florida | 1.8 (1.6–2.0) | 4.9 (4.1–5.8) |
| Georgia | 1.6 (1.5–1.8) | 4.1 (3.7–4.5) |
| Hawaii | 1.9 (1.7–2.2) | 4.3 (3.9–4.7) |
| Idaho | 2.0 (1.7–2.5) | 4.5 (3.9–5.3) |
| Illinois | 1.9 (1.7–2.1) | 4.4 (3.9–4.8) |
| Indiana | 1.7 (1.5–1.9) | 4.2 (3.7–4.8) |
| Iowa | 1.9 (1.8–2.0) | 4.3 (4.0–4.5) |
| Kansas | 1.6 (1.4–1.7) | 3.8 (3.5–4.1) |
| Kentucky | 1.9 (1.7–2.4) | 5.0 (4.2–6.9) |
| Louisiana | 2.0 (1.7–2.4) | 4.7 (4.2–5.5) |
| Maine | 1.8 (1.6–2.0) | 4.1 (3.6–4.7) |
| Maryland | 1.6 (1.4–1.8) | 3.7 (3.4–4.0) |
| Massachusetts | 1.5 (1.4–1.7) | 3.6 (3.2–3.9) |
| Michigan | 1.8 (1.6–1.9) | 4.3 (3.9–4.7) |
| Minnesota | 1.5 (1.4–1.6) | 3.7 (3.5–3.9) |
| Mississippi | 2.1 (1.8–2.7) | 5.4 (4.1–8.8) |
| Missouri | 1.8 (1.6–2.2) | 4.8 (4.1–6.1) |
| Montana | 1.6 (1.4–1.8) | 4.0 (3.5–4.5) |
| Nebraska | 1.7 (1.6–1.8) | 3.9 (3.6–4.3) |
| Nevada | 1.6 (1.3–1.9) | 3.7 (2.9–4.5) |
| New Hampshire | 1.5 (1.3–1.8) | 4.0 (3.4–4.7) |
| New Jersey | –† | 3.5 (2.9–3.9) |
| New Mexico | 1.8 (1.5–2.1) | 4.5 (4.0–5.2) |
| New York | 1.6 (1.5–1.7) | 3.7 (3.4–4.0) |
| North Carolina | 1.8 (1.5–2.2) | 4.6 (3.9–5.5) |
| North Dakota | 1.8 (1.5–2.0) | 4.2 (3.7–4.7) |
| Ohio | 1.9 (1.7–2.2) | 4.4 (3.9–4.9) |
| Oklahoma | 1.5 (1.2–1.7) | 3.8 (3.0–4.5) |
| Oregon | 1.7 (1.5–1.9) | 4.1 (3.6–4.5) |
| Pennsylvania | 1.8 (1.5–2.0) | 3.9 (3.6–4.4) |
| Rhode Island | 1.6 (1.4–1.8) | 3.8 (3.1–4.4) |
| South Carolina | 1.9 (1.7–2.2) | 4.6 (4.1–5.2) |
| South Dakota | 1.7 (1.4–2.1) | 4.0 (3.5–4.6) |
| Tennessee | 1.7 (1.4–2.1) | 4.4 (3.6–5.2) |
| Texas | 1.8 (1.5–2.0) | 4.1 (3.6–4.9) |
| Utah | 1.7 (1.6–1.9) | 4.4 (4.0–4.8) |
| Vermont | 1.9 (1.6–2.3) | 4.3 (3.7–5.1) |
| Virginia | 1.6 (1.5–1.8) | 3.7 (3.4–4.0) |
| Washington | 1.5 (1.4–1.7) | 3.6 (3.3–3.9) |
| West Virginia | 1.8 (1.5–2.4) | 5.1 (4.3–7.1) |
| Wisconsin | 1.7 (1.5–1.9) | 3.8 (3.4–4.3) |
| Wyoming | 1.5 (1.3–1.7) | 4.1 (3.5–4.6) |
Abbreviation: CI = confidence interval.
* Number of binge drinking occasions in the past 30 days among adults who reported binge drinking.
† Estimates are unreliable if the relative standard error is >0.3.
Page last reviewed: October 13, 2021
