Alcohol Poisoning Deaths | Vital Signs

Alcohol Poisoning Deaths | Vital Signs

According to this month’s Vital Signs, An average of 6 people die from alcohol poisoning in the US each day—and 76% of these are middle-aged adults. Very high levels of alcohol in the body canshut down critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature, resulting in death. States and communities can prevent alcohol poisoning deaths by supporting proven programs and policies to reduce binge drinking. Interested in learning more? Join us for a Town Hall Teleconference on Tuesday, January 13, at 2–3 pm (EST). Preventing Excessive Alcohol Consumption Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States and is a risk factor for many health and societal problems. In 2006, the estimated economic cost of excessive drinking in the U. S. was $223.5 billion (Bouchery et al., 2011). Excessive alcohol consumption can take the form of heavy drinking, binge drinking, or any drinking by pregnant women or underage youth. Heavy drinking is defined as more than two drinks per day on average for men or more than one drink per day on average for women. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks during a single occasion for men or four or more drinks during a single occasion for women. Approximately 1 in 6 US adults binge drinks, about 4 times a month. On average, the largest number of drinks consumed during a binge is 8. Underage drinking is considered a form of excessive drinking because it is both illegal and often involves consumption in quantities and settings that can lead to serious immediate and long-term consequences. People aged 12 to 20 years drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. More than 90% of this alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks (OJJDP) [PDF - 1.08 MB] . Task Force Recommendations and Findings This table lists interventions reviewed by the Community Guide, with a summary of the Task Force finding (definitions of findings). Click on an underlined intervention title for a summary of the review. Interventions Directed to the General Population Dram Shop Liability Recommended March 2010 Electronic Screening and Brief Intervention (e-SBI) Recommended August 2012 Increasing Alcohol Taxes Recommended June 2007 Maintaining Limits on Days of Sale Recommended June 2008 Maintaining Limits on Hours of Sale Recommended February 2009 Overservice Law Enforcement Initiatives Insufficient Evidence March 2010 Privatization of Retail Alcohol Sales Recommended Against April 2011 Regulation of Alcohol Outlet Density Recommended February 2007 Responsible Beverage Service Training Insufficient Evidence October 2010 Interventions Directed to Underage Drinkers Enhanced Enforcement of Laws Prohibiting Sales to Minors Recommended February 2006 Presentations and Promotional Materials Slides and Presentations Public Health Grand Rounds — Preventing Excessive Alcohol Use: What Public Health Can Do  Hosted by CDC Action Guides Strategizer 55 - Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density: An Action Guide Developed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America in partnership with the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Promotional Materials Summary of Task Force Recommended Strategies: Evidence-Based Strategies to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Consumption and Related Harms  [PDF - 71 kB] Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program Community Guide News: Community Preventive Services Task Force Recommends Electronic Screening and Brief Interventions for Excessive Alcohol Use Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC's Alcohol Program Community Guide News: Maintaining Limits on Days and Hours of Sale: Reducing the Harms from Drinking Too Much by Limiting Access to Alcohol Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program Community Guide News: Regulating Alcohol Outlet Density Prevents Excessive Alcohol Use Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program Community Guide News: Task Force Finds Commercial Liability an Effective Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-Related Harms Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC's Alcohol Program Community Guide News: Task Force Recommends Against Privatizing Retail Alcohol Sales Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC's Alcohol Program Community Guide News: Task Force Recommends Increasing Alcohol Taxes to Prevent Excessive Alcohol Use and Other Harms Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC's Alcohol Program Media Outreach CDC Media Release: Task Force Finds Commercial Liability an Effective Strategy to Reduce Alcohol-related Problems Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program CDC Media Advisory About Maintaining Limits on Days and Hours of Sale: CDC Releases Two Reports on Excessive Alcohol Use and Related Harms  Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program CDC Newsroom Formatted Article About Maintaining Limits on Days and Hours of Sale: Reducing the Harms from Drinking Too Much by Limiting Access to Alcohol  [PDF - 208 kB]  Developed by The Community Guide in collaboration with CDC’s Alcohol Program Webinars September 19, 2013 – Indian Health Service Clinical Grand Rounds: Preventing Excessive Alcohol Consumption and Related Harms  Developed by The Community Guide and hosted by the Indian Health Service For More on this Topic CDC, Alcohol and Public Health  CDC Prevention Status Report – Excessive Alcohol Use  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism  StopAlcoholAbuse.gov  Related Topics Adolescent Health Motor Vehicle-Related Injury Prevention Reference Bouchery EE, Harwood HJ, Sacks JJ, Simon CJ, Brewer RD. Economic costs of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S., 2006. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2011;41(5):516-24. Disclaimer The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC. Task Force evidence-based recommendations are not mandates for compliance or spending. Instead, they provide information and options for decision makers and stakeholders to consider when determining which programs, services, and policies best meet the needs, preferences, available resources, and constraints of their constituents. Sample Citation The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Preventing excessive alcohol consumption.www.thecommunityguide.org/alcohol/index.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY. Excessive Alcohol Consumption Dram Shop Liability Electronic Screening and Brief Intervention (e-SBI) Increasing Alcohol Taxes Maintaining Limits on Days of Sale Maintaining Limits on Hours of Sale Overservice Law Enforcement Initiatives Privatization of Retail Alcohol Sales Regulation of Alcohol Outlet Density Responsible Beverage Service Training Enhanced Enforcement of Laws Prohibiting Sales to Minors Supporting Materials Publications