ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATEAs a child, alcoholism was something that surrounded evolutionary physiologist Robert Dudley from the University of California Berkeley. Watching first-hand as his father descended into the addictive disease, Dudley’s first fascinations as a scientist were with what predispositions led to humans’ strong attraction to the intoxicating libations.
Here in the U.S., with peaking numbers of DUI’s and staggering alcohol-related deaths, the government and the general public realizes that we’re facing a problem with alcohol and its effects on society. But many are left wondering, what’s worse: an occasional binge when out for a night on the town, or full-blown alcoholism? You may be surprised to find out that a new study conducted by the U.S. government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that while excessive drinking is responsible for over 88,000 deaths a year, nine out of ten Americans who drink excessively do not meet the criteria to be classified as “alcoholics”. So it’s binge drinking that’s the main culprit for these deaths.
For those Americans who have spent some time in the south of France, or gazing at the crystal azure waters at Mediterranean shores, they know that European nations are far more into vineyards and nights out on the town than any metropolis this side of the Atlantic. But while wine and aperitivos may run free in every European meal, the U.S. on the contrary is a place of sugary sweets, where binge drinking on a holiday weekend is far more common than a daily glass of sangria. And while binge drinking in the long run is far more detrimental to one’s health, researchers now say that excess drinking and rates of alcoholism may be curbed by a new set of taxes.
Most heavy drinkers in the U.S. are not necessarily alcoholics, study reveals. Drinking heavily is defined as having eight or more alcoholic drinks in a week for women, and 15 or more drinks per week for men.