New CDC Report Shows Dangers Of Excessive Drinking

By Stephanie Stahl

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Excessive drinking causes one in ten deaths among people between the ages of 20 and 64, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It also says binge and heavy drinking caused about 88,000 deaths from 2006 to 2010.

Heavy drinking - defined as eight or more drinks a week for women and 15 or more for men - is linked to deadly health problems like heart and liver disease and breast cancer. Binge drinking, which is four or more drinks on one occasion for women and five or more for men, is associated with motor vehicle crashes, violence and alcohol poisoning.

The new CDC report says nearly 70% of excessive drinking deaths involved men, and 5% were under the age of 21.

New Jersey had the lowest number of deaths due to excessive drinking, while New Mexico had the highest.

"Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of preventable death that kills many Americans in the prime of their lives," said Ursula Bauer, director of CDC's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

The report also said excessive drinking cost the United State billions of dollars, mostly from lost productivity, including reduced earnings among people who drink too much.

To read more on the CDC Alcohol Death study, click here.

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