Excessive alcohol use leads to about 88,000 deaths in the United States each year and shortens the life of those who die by almost 30 years.

To learn more about alcohol use and your health click here.

Excessive drinking includes binge drinking, heavy drinking, and any drinking by pregnant women or people younger than age 21.

  • Binge drinking, the most common form of excessive drinking, is defined as consuming
    • For women, 4 or more drinks during a single occasion.
    • For men, 5 or more drinks during a single occasion.
  • Heavy drinking is defined as consuming
    • For women, 8 or more drinks per week.
    • For men, 15 or more drinks per week.

Most people who drink excessively are not alcoholics or alcohol dependent.

30% of North Carolinian adults who drink reported binge drinking in the last 30-days. Binge drinking can lead to unintentional injury, violence, poor pregnancy outcomes and death. Binge drinking is the most costly and common kind of excessive drinking.

Can click here to learn the real cost.

Alcohol increases your risk of seven different types of cancer and may be a risk factor for pancreatic, gastric and lung cancer.

Click here [English] or [Spanish] to learn more about alcohol and it’s link to cancer.