CDC Wants Doctors to Discuss Drinking with Patients
Apparently millions of Americans don’t know when to say when.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 38 million adults drink too much.
Researchers define excessive alcohol consumption as high weekly use and binge drinking.
Binge drinking is classified as at least five drinks by a man and four drinks by a woman within a three hour period.
That’s why the CDC is calling for doctors, nurses and other health officials to screen patients about their drinking habits, and to recommend counseling when it is deemed appropriate.An audio version of this story.
“We know that health professionals can be effective in reducing drinking too much among their adult patients,” says Dr. Lela McKnight-Eily, a scientist with the CDC.
Alcohol is the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S., claiming nearly 90,000 lives every year.
The CDC also says alcohol costs the country nearly $225 billion in healthcare-related costs on an annual basis.
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