Denverites have a drinking problem.

Public health officials are sounding the alarm about new data that show more than 1 in 4 Denver residents binge drink. The discussion comes as the city of Denver is considering making it easier for people to carry their alcohol more freely in designated areas.

Binge drinking is considered five or more drinks for men in a two- to three-hour period and four or more for women in the same amount of time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heavy or excessive drinking includes 15 or more drinks on an average week for men, and eight or more for women per week.

Denver Public Health officials decided to dig into Denver’s drinking as it planned to host a speaker who would address the effects of alcohol that first-responders see.

“We were surprised to see that Denver really stands out in a lot of ways,” Dr. Ken Scott, an epidemiologist at Denver Public Health, said.

Denver not only stands out in comparison to other Colorado counties and to other places around the country. Denver even exceeds binge drinking rates in Las Vegas, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Austin — its peer cities, the report said.

Officials attribute the higher rates to the environment and culture of the city. Alcohol is easily accessible with the high density of bars, breweries and restaurants in the area, Denver Health reported.

Colorado boasts one of the lowest alcohol taxes in the country. The state ranks 39th for wine taxes; 46th for beer taxes; and 47th for taxes on spirits, Tax Foundation data show.

In Colorado, about five deaths a day are attributed to alcohol, according to the state’s Department of Health and Environment. Each year, 61 people younger than 21 die of excessive drinking in the state.

Colorado had 11,735 alcohol outlets in 2018 but only 10 enforcement agents, according to Colorado Liquor and Tobacco Enforcement Division data. Denver ranks 20th in accessibility compared to 3,142 other counties and county equivalents, according to a Denver Public Health presentation.

Scott said Denver Public Health’s role is to start the conversations to raise awareness and education about alcohol and the harmful consequences of misuse. He points to Denver’s large percentage of motor vehicle crashes that involve alcohol compared to its peer cities as well as high rates of chronic health effects, such as liver disease. In Denver County, alcoholic liver disease death rates increased 35 percent between 1999 and 2017, according to the Colorado Health Information Data set.

“There are things we see on a daily basis,” Scott said. “We see billboards advertising particular alcohol products. We see new bars and restaurants opening up. We don’t always see the negative consequences of unhealthy alcohol use.”