Too Many Americans Drink Too Much Booze, Says Government

Heaviest drinkers are women aged 51-70 and men aged 31-50

America is rife with unrepentant lushes, a government-authored study reveals. The research found that every day, 18% of men and 11% of women drink "too much," i.e. more than government-recommended limits of two drinks per day for men and one for women.

And 7% of men and 3% of women are getting sloshed on a daily basis: they're classed as "heavy drinkers" or "binge drinkers," meaning they knock back five or more drinks per day (four or more for women). So-called heavy drinkers are most numerous among men age 31-50 and women age 51-70. So partying hard isn't biggest among the college-age crowd, as you might think.

The good news from the study is that on average, Americans stay within USDA-set limits. "In fact, most adults don't drink at all on any given day," the study's lead author Patricia Guenther, a nutritionist at the USDA, told Reuters. "But the fact remains that it is a significant public health problem that many people do drink to excess."

Via Reuters and Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

In your opinion, do a lot of Americans drink too much?

[g4me]

Well gee, what else do we menopausal women have to look forward to?

[g4me]

I think I'll have a drink.

[jessejaymes]

@g4me probably a good idea. It's hell getting old. Like I told the hooker who asked me if she had to do all the work? I replied "the second you give me money for doing this I'll get right to work".

[g4me]

@jessejaymes I just snorted wine out of my nose from laughing!

[jessejaymes]

@g4me LOL Old joke but still a good one. LOL

[g4me]

@jessejaymes Hadnt heard it in a long time, but it still cracked me up!

[jessejaymes]

It never ceases to amaze me watching the people in the grocery store lines who pull out an EBT card and pay for their groceries and THEN pull out a wad of cash to pay for those 6-8 cases of beer.

[Knightkore]

Fascinating thing? Many of these are IN government. Ted Kennedy was the poster child but there are many more like him in government.....

[g4me]

@Knightmare Teddy had an EBT card?*scratches head

[jessejaymes]

@Knightmare When I was at the newspaper we did a drug awareness thingie I came up with and we had Lakers and Dodgers and Angels all talking to the kids. So the Newspaper publisher thought this was a good thing, even though I hadn't gotten permission and did it on my own, he saw the opportunity for reflected glory so he invited me to lunch at a place I would never be allowed in without his membership. And he proceeded to knock back five Manhattans in about an hour. Wonderful. I resisted the urge to suggest he might need to be in the audience, not on the podium for the next one.

[Knightkore]

@jessejaymes LOL!

[TheJimmy]

You can purchase alcohol in a grocery store where you live at? Damn.

[Knightkore]

Did the people who did this study drink too much booze?

[Clarke12]

when your tax dollars are squandered by Congress, there is not much you can do to fight it. throw back a few glasses and take it easy..

[marine1]

Goverment is just like an enema, always stirring up sheet.

[texas_cutie75]

With this economy and folks having a hard time, its hard to not have a drink or two.

[AceLuby]

Maybe if we legalized pot there wouldn't be as many heavy drinkers.

[Leftofliberal]

if they legalized coke there would be fewer drunks/stoners falling asleep at the wheel

[AceLuby]

@Leftofliberal Well that escalated quickly....

[mimi57]

@Leftofliberal ...and if they legalized heroine, everyone could be in a euphoric state
until the next time they shot up, until they ended up in the morgue...

[Fishbone345]

@mimi57 They call that "culling the herd". Its not a bad thing.

[Leftofliberal]

@mimi57 I'd prefer to think more like of the definition term heroine
1.a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for her brave deeds and noble qualities.
I Think you mean Heroin

[Concerned_Cit]

The "Government study" says people drink "more than the government recommends" eh? More Big Brother watching over us (at our taxpaying expense no-less) and trying to dictate what people should and shouldn't do. What a nanny state Americans are allowing our country to become.

[stepped_in_it]

Beat me 2 it.........wonder when BB (big brother) is gonna regulate breathing (HMM....odd SS#'s on M-W-F....even on T-T-S. On Sunday we all hold our breath?)

[jessejaymes]

@stepped_in_it Back in the 1970's California rationed gasoline. Last number on your plate got gas on even days or odd days. So I went to Vegas and got an old band member to register my car in Nevada. Cheaper registration, cheaper insurance, AND out of state plates could get gas any day. I had those plates for about 3 years.

[stepped_in_it]

@jessejaymes I remember those days. I had a personalized plate which Cali considered odd for gas rationing. I had to agree with them because I was odd...;-)

[jessejaymes]

@stepped_in_it I can't dispute that line of reasoning. Dead on the money from where I sit.

[stepped_in_it]

@jessejaymes Ya know what they say, odd people are usually simpatico with one another!

[stepped_in_it]

Being over the 31-50 men crowd, I don't drink as much as I used to. I now reserve the odd hours (of the clock) for drinking and the even hours for sobriety. Problem is it's always 5 o'clock somewhere and I hate to change my rules once I set them!

[texas_cutie75]

Awesome!! Best comment yet!!

[TDriver04]

Here's an idea for the government. How about you quit spend are money on pointless studies and start doing what you should be doing and maybe people wouldn't drink so much.

[fistv]

Then you would have all those professors and research ass istants having to actually work for a living.Talk about government handouts.

[AntiPorcheria]

"Too Many Americans Drink Too Much Booze"

Really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch...

[Realthinker]

My mother would postpone starting dinner in favor of "one more little drinky", especially if we had company. Five beers a night was minimum for her, as she aged she switched to liquor.

[mimi57]

I only do that about two times a year...when my in-laws visit from Chicago, but I never drink beer, ( ;

[NTBFW]

This surprises anyone?

[MyName]

Drinking has been a major part of American culture for hundreds of years. The government needs to focus less on monitoring and regulating the behaviors of the civilian population, and focus more on regulating itself.

[Concerned_Cit]

That's like asking the alcoholic to mind the liquor store. The sole purpose of government is to sustain itself, not serve the people, and therein lies the problem.

[Thegrif]

Yeap to many drink to much, but in their defense, smokin' herb ain't legal everywhere. Once it is, drinking will go down some.
Wonder what the numbers in Colorado might look like.

[Vance1]

People get depressed about this country not doing well.

[AlexMIA]

I did not vote because IMO, I don't care how many drinks grown folks choose to have as long as they don't drive after. This study doesn't mean the government cares either, what it might equate to later though is some perverse justification for hire taxes somewhere.

[Ryuo]

Me, I'll keep drinking until Obamacare looks like a good idea.

[Meanie]

Men, age 31 - 50 because the women drive us to drink and kill us early on.
Women, 50 - 70 cause they have nothing better to do. After they killed us off, there isn't anyone to nag.

[IMAQT]

Perhaps government should consider prohibition, I bet that would work.

[Fishbone345]

Only if we can pass another Tax Amendment.

[vws]

It's probably in Obamacare somewhere - just haven't read that far yet!