The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a 2012 report that outlined what it called an "alarming" amount of binge drinking in America. ("Binge drinking" means men drinking five or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time, or women drinking four or more drinks within a short period of time.) The study surveyed 458,000 adults and reported the following statistics:

• 17.1 percent—the number of U.S. adults who binge drink at least four times a month (that's 38 million people)
• 28.2 percent—the number of young adults who binge drink
• 4.4— the number of binge sessions the average U.S. binge drinker engages in each month
• 5.5—the number of binge sessions for bingers 65 and older
• 20.2 percent—the number of U.S. adults earning more than $75,000 a year or more who binge drink; 16.2 percent—the number of U.S. adults earning $25,000 a year or less who binge drink
• 20 percent—the percentage of binge drinkers who fit the medical description of alcoholism
• $223.5 billion—the annual estimated cost of America's drinking problem, including medical expenses, crime, and lost productivity
• 80,000—the number of Americans who die each year from drinking-related causes, including drunk-driving and suicide
• $746 per person or $1.90 per drink—the annual cost of excessive alcohol intake, which includes binge drinking. (This statistic is based on a 2006 study.)

One of the researchers for the study commented, "We're talking about a risk behavior that's quite widespread in the population, and where people have the impression it's not such a bad thing to do."