Is Binge Drinking the Same as Alcoholism?

3. Who Binge Drinks?

The statistics are significant. About one in six U.S. adults, roughly 17 percent, binge drinks, and among those who do, about a quarter binge at least once a week, typically putting away five to six drinks on an occasion. Binge drinking is most common among adults aged 18 to 34 and is about twice as common in men as in women. It also makes up the bulk of excessive drinking overall: more than 90 percent of U.S. adults who drink report drinking excessively.