What does it mean?
Excessive alcohol use differs by sex and includes:
- Binge Drinking
- Heavy Drinking
- Any alcohol use by people under age 21
- Any alcohol use by pregnant people
Key Facts
- Excessive alcohol use causes more than 178,000 deaths each year in the U.S. (CDC ARDI, 2024).
- Excessive alcohol use leads to preventable hospital stays, injuries, and deaths every year in Maryland. (Maryland Department of Health, Health Services Cost Review Commission, [2019-2023]) (CDC ARDI, 2024)
Binge Drinking:
- For women: 4 or more drinks in one sitting.
- For men: 5 or more drinks in one sitting.
While most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent, this kind of drinking can still cause serious health risks.
Heavy Drinking:
- For women: 8 or more drinks per week.
- For men: 15 or more drinks per week.
These amounts are based on definitions from the CDC and help us track health risks in Maryland communities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023a).
How much does excessive alcohol use cost the US?
- Excessive alcohol use cost the U.S. $249 billion in 2010 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).
- These costs were mainly due to lost productivity at work, healthcare, law enforcement, and motor vehicle accidents.
- This 2010 data is the most recently available from this CDC report; however, these costs have likely increased.
