KING COUNTY, Wash. — Americans' binge and heavy drinking has increased at the county level a new study shows, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception.
Quick Facts:
- Several Washington counties prevalence for drinking is above national average, according to UW study.
- Heavy drinking among Americans has increased sharply, up 17.2 percent since 2005.
- In 2012, 8.2 percent of all Americans were considered heavy drinkers and 18.3 percent were binge drinkers.
- The county with highest rate of any drinking for men and women was Falls Church City, Va. With 78 percent prevelance
The rise in alcohol consumption — broken down in a county-level analysis — is influenced mainly by higher rates drinking among women, according to new research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.
Some regional drinking patterns emerged at the national level, with several areas in the West, Midwest, and New England showing higher levels of alcohol consumption.
King County has a 63 percent prevalence for drinking, which is above the national average of 49 percent.
Nationwide, women showed a much faster escalation in binge drinking than men, with rates rising 17.5 percent between 2005 and 2012; men, on the other hand, saw rates of binge drinking increase 4.9 percent.
“We are seeing some very alarming trends in alcohol overconsumption, especially among women,” said Dr. Ali Mokdad, a lead author of the study and professor at IHME. “We also can’t ignore the fact that in many US counties a quarter of the people, or more, are binge drinkers.”
The study says beyond regional comparisons, the most striking disparities in alcohol use were found within state lines. For example in Washington, Jefferson County's prevalence for drinking is 64.9 percent, where in Eastern Washington, east Adam's County is 28.4 percent.
Explore county-level findings more in this interactive map.
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