Study finds binge drinking on rise in Central Minnesota

Despite public health campaigns to reduce excessive alcohol use, a new study finds overall levels of heavy and binge drinking on the rise, including in some Central Minnesota counties.

The study of adults age 21 and older published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health finds wide variations in rates of heavy and binge drinking across the United States, with more than a third of adults drinking at dangerous levels in some areas.

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Among Central Minnesota counties, Morrison County led the way in excess drinkers in 2012. It had the highest percentage — 30.6 — of people who reported binge drinking. Among men, the percentage was 40.3, the highest among all Minnesota counties.

Heavy drinking is defined as exceeding an average of one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men over the past month. Binge drinking is consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more for men on a single occasion at least once during the past month.

Much of the growth of excessive drinking nationwide was led by women. For example, female binge drinkers in Stearns County increased by 15 percent between 2002 and 2012, but fell by 2 percent among men.

Male binge drinkers jumped more than 10 percent in Morrison County from 2002 to 2012. But for female drinkers, the increase was even larger, 22.5 percent.

Heavy drinking is linked to cancer, heart disease, stroke, fetal alcohol syndrome, injuries and other adverse health effects. The cost of excessive drinking has been estimated to exceed $220 billion per year.

Several Central Minnesota counties have made reducing binge and underage drinking a public health goal. It's one of the top priorities of Stearns County's Community Health Improvement Plan released earlier this week.

Morrison County commissioners voted this week not to adopt a social host ordinance, which would have made it a crime to knowingly allow underage drinking on one's property.

For the study, researchers used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, a telephone survey by state health departments with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Follow Kirsti Marohn on Twitter @kirstimarohn or reach her by phone at 255-8746.