A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that binge drinking is common among U.S. adults. It finds that almost one-fifth of the U.S. population partakes in binge drinking.

The report shows that U.S. adults have 17 billion drinks a year.

Binging Common Even After College

Althought binge drinking is most commonly associated with college students, the CDC's new report shows that binge drinking continues even after college. It shows that 37 million Americans binge drink.

The report defines binge drinking as having four or more drinks in one sitting for women, and five or more drinks in one sitting for men in about two hours. Americans are consuming an average of seven drinks per sitting.

Binge drinkers drank a total of 17.5 billion beverages during binges. Binge drinking is more prevalent among young adults ages 18 to 34, but more than half of the binge drinking was done by adults age 35 and over.

Factors That Determine Drinking

Binge drinking was determined by age, sex, education level, and geography. The CDC concluded that men were twice as likely to drink as women. Men drank 14 billion of the 17.5 billion drinks that were consumed during binges.

Education also played a part in the amount of binge drinking people did. People with less than a high school education and those with a household income of less than $25,000 a year consumed more binge drinks per year than those with higher incomes and higher education levels.

Income levels also play a role in the binge drinking done by adults. Binge drinking is more prevalent in those with higher household incomes compared to those with a lower household income. However, the frequency and intensity of the binge drinking are higher among those with lower household incomes.

Geography also changed how much people were binge drinking in the U.S. Binge drinkers consumed more alcohol in Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and Hawaii. The states with least alcohol consumption include Washington, DC; New Jersey, New York, and Washington State. There was a higher than average rates of binge drinking in the Midwest and New England compared to other regions.

Preventing Binge Drinking

Co-author of the study Robert Brewer stressed the importance of preventing binge drinking. He suggests that there should be a focus on reducing the number of times people binge drink and the amount they drink when they binge drink.

The CDC recommends a reduction in the number of places to buy alcohol in a geographic area and limiting the days and hours when alcohol is sold. It also recommends raising the penalties for those places that serve people that are underage or people that are too intoxicated.