New Factsheet About Binge Drinking

From the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health – September 2020

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent—or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter—or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern of excessive alcohol use corresponds to consuming 4 or more drinks (female), or 5 or more drinks (male) in about 2 hours. Research shows that fewer drinks in the same timeframe result in the same BAC in youth; only 3 drinks for girls, and 3 to 5 drinks for boys, depending on their age and size.

According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 67 million, or about 25 percent of people in the United States ages 12 and older reported binge drinking during the past month.

To learn more about binge drinking and its consequences, visit:

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/binge-drinking