Binge drinking: it's not just young people

Binge drinking is usually associated with young people but recent research from the U.S. suggests that older adults do it too. Researchers from Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina surveyed nearly 11,000 people aged 50 and over. 23% of men and 9% of women between 50-64 admitted binge drinking - defined as having five or more drinks on one occasion - on at least one day in the past month. Of those over 65 14% of men and 3% of women reported binge drinking. Binge drinking can lead to accidental injuries, violent behaviour, neurological damage and increases in blood pressure. The survey also looked at risky drinking, defined as drinking an average of at least two drinks a day. Among 50- to 64-year-olds, 19 percent of men and 13 percent of women were at-risk drinkers. The figures among older men and women were 13 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

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