Binge Drinking Kills 6 A Day: CDC

A new report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that alcohol poisoning is responsible for the deaths of six people per day.

Health officials estimated that 2,221 people over the age of 15 died of alcohol poisoning each year from 2010 to 2012, while 76 percent were men and nearly 77 percent were between the ages of 35 and 64. Just about 5 percent were between the ages of 15 and 24, according to USA Today.

Alcohol poisoning occurs after consuming a drink too quickly, affecting heart rate, body temperature and gag reflexes, which can lead to coma and even death in more severe cases.

"Contrary to conventional wisdom, there is a lot of binge drinking going on by people who are post college-age," said the study's co-author, Robert Brewer. "We were surprised by these findings."

Warning signs of alcohol poisoning may include confusion, difficulty remaining conscious, trouble breathing, vomiting, slow heart rate and clamming skin, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, with the risk of binge drinking defined as the consumption of four or more drinks in about two hours for women and five or more drinks two hours for men. Unfortunately, health officials estimate that most binge drinkers take in even more, at an average of eight drinks at a time.

To add to that, fewer than one-third of alcohol related deaths are estimated to occur in alcoholics or those physically addicted to alcohol.

Drinking water and checking in with a friend can help prevent you from taking in too many drinks and having a safe night. 

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