Alcohol

While drinking alcohol is itself not necessarily a problem, drinking too much can have negative consequences and increase your risk for a variety of problems.

What are Some of the Consequences of Drinking Too Much?
Alcohol enters your bloodstream as soon as you take your first sip. Alcohol’s immediate effects can appear within about 10 minutes. As you drink, you increase your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level, which is the amount of alcohol present in your bloodstream. The higher your BAC, the more impaired you become by alcohol’s effects.

These effects can include:Standard drink - Wikipedia

  • Reduced inhibitions
  • Slurred speech
  • Motor impairment
  • Confusion
  • Memory problems
  • Concentration problems
  • Coma
  • Breathing problems
  • Death

Other risks of drinking can include:

  • Car crashes and other accidents
  • Risky behavior
  • Violent behavior
  • Suicide and homicide

Prevalence of Drinking:

  • According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 86.3% of people 18 and older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime. 70% reported that they drank in the past year and 55.3% percent reported that they drank in the past month.

Prevalence of Binge Drinking and Heavy Alcohol Use: 

  • In 2018, 26.45% of people 18 and older reported that they engaged in binge drinking in the past month. 6.6% percent reported that they engaged in heavy alcohol use in the past month.
  • Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. This typically occurs after 4 drinks for women and 5 drinks for men—in about 2 hours.
  • Heavy Alcohol Use is binge drinking on 5 or more days in the past month.

Connecticut Social Host Law makes it illegal for anyone who owns or controls private property, including a dwelling unit, from knowingly,  recklessly, or with criminal negligence, to permit anyone under age 21 to illegally possess alcohol in the unit or on the property. Violation of this law can result in fines and/or imprisonment.

Information provided by National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

To learn more about Alcohol Misuse, please reach out to Ingrid Gillespie, Director of Prevention.

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