28-03-2025
Binge drinking up in Iowa: CADS
A report from the Center for Disease Control shows that the number of binge drinkers is up in the State of Iowa. Kennon Neal, CPS – Prevention Coordinator for CADS (Center for Alcohol & Drug Services, Inc) spoke with Our Quad Cities News via Zoom to discuss the issue and how it impacts everyone, not just those who drink.
'I recently read something where the HHS and the Centers for Disease Control did a report that says binge drinking is up,' he said. 'I think it was approximately 21.5%, making that basically one out of every five people. But the national rate is only 17%, approximately one out of every six. Even though the national rate has shown that it's fallen, the state of Iowa, particularly, has risen by 2%.'
He says there are several factors that could cause the increase. 'There's just a lot of factors that play a part, particularly with Iowa. I would say rural versus urban. In urban areas, we have industrial places, more opportunity. The poverty level is different, as far as having access to resources and things of that sort. In a rural area, you have climate that plays a role, those winter months, you stay inside, not to mention we're still lingering from the pandemic. I know people say the pandemic's over, but for some of us is still an issue and so you have that part where you stay indoors, on those cold winter months. We have the local pub, the bar, versus an urban area where you have more entertainment, more recreational activities. That's not to say we don't have those activities here, but they're limited. If they're limited, those outlets that we usually migrate to are the bars, the local pub, and they tend to promote drinking.'
Neal says some people may be confused about the definition of binge drinking. 'There's a lot of demographics that play into this drinking. When you think about binge drinking by definition, there's a pattern that brings your blood alcohol concentration to .08, with the intention of getting intoxicated. You have to think of the fact that you're doing this drinking within a two-hour span. For a woman, she would have four, and a man would have five drinks in a two-hour span.'
He says the consequences of binge drinking impact all facets of society. 'There's so many consequences, injuries, motor vehicle crashes. Violence is a big thing. We just usually see the violence we have. But then talking to individuals, you'll see that alcohol may have played a part in most some cases, actually, a lot of the cases, binge drinking itself. We deal with those immediate things such as alcohol poisoning. For those who don't know, that's when the high blood alcohol levels affect the body functions and affect your breathing and your heart rate. Long term effects, I think we're familiar cancer, heart, liver disease, all from binge drinking. The more you drink alcohol, especially when we talk about binge drinking, the weaker your immune system is.'
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and Neal said raising awareness is crucial. 'I agree that we should be concerned. I believe in 'each one teach one.' We are a community, we talk to each other, we try to receive data. We see some that may be alarming, and we say let's talk about this. Let's raise awareness. So, I think one of the best things you could do is just educate one another. They may think that, well, it's okay to drink a wine cooler. It's a wine cooler, it's all pretty and fancy. You hear the word wine behind it, and we're not saying there's nothing wrong with drinking, but when it comes to binge drinking, a standard drink is the same as a 12-ounce domestic beer, an eight-ounce malt liquor, five ounces of wine and a 1.5 80 proof of distilled spirit, they're all equivalent. So having that little information, that knowledge there, and saying, oh, that light bulb comes on, and also knowing the hours, the rate amongst consumption, there are some short-term effects and long-term effects. It doesn't just affect you, affects society as a whole.'
It might be difficult to bring up binge drinking with someone, but knowing help is available can make a person reach out. 'I think the most important thing is how to have that conversation with somebody when it comes to not just binge drinking, but any substance, letting them know that they're not alone, that there is help, I know under the UnityPoint Robert Young and CADA family, we have the whole continuum. We have services available if a person wants to detox, if a person is looking for outpatient services, intensive outpatient services, residential, we have the full continuum.'
'There are some people who ask, why do people binge drink? We ask at times, and there's so many different factors and mental health plays a role. Some people self-medicate. When you self-medicate, it does get some release of euphoria and relaxation, but individuals need to be educated. They realize that, oh, okay, that self-medication also makes the problem worse. You may develop, let's say alcohol use disorder for one thing. If you're dealing with anxiety or depression, we already know when you drink a depressant that you have the hopelessness that comes in, maybe suicide. So, there's just a whole bunch of different things. It sounds kind of cliche, but think before you drink, especially if you're talking about binge drinking. Make healthy choices, educate one another and more importantly, let them know that there's resources out there, and that your drinking does not just affect you, it does affect everybody, especially those close to you, the loved ones.'
Anyone seeking information or help can contact CADS at 563-322-2667 or the National Crisis Line at 988. Help is also available through Your Life Iowa, UnityPoint Health and the Robert Young Mental Health Center.
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