One Iowa staple is walking into a local convenience store and being able to buy a 12-pack of beer.
While 14-year-olds can’t drink with their parents like in Wisconsin, once you are 21, alcohol is fairly accessible in Iowa and it shows in the statistics.
A recent study by addiction resource website Find Recovery found the states with the highest rates of binge drinking. The report uses data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from 2011 to 2023.
How does Iowa rank for binge drinking?
Find Recovery found that Iowa leads the nation in binge drinking at a rate of 22.5%. This rate has slightly decreased over the last decade by 0.07%, but Iowa remains the state with the highest proportion of adults engaging in excessive drinking, according to Find Recovery.
A report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services found that 57% of adults in Iowa used alcohol in the last 30 days. This was 4 percentage points higher than the national findings in 2020. Iowa’s rate decreased from 2011 when 61% of adults reported alcohol use in the past 30 days.
What is binge drinking?
The CDC’s survey considers binge drinking consuming five or more drinks in one occasion for men or four or more drinks for women.
A drink is defined as a 12-ounce beer, 5-ounce glass of wine or a drink with one shot of hard liquor.
Chronic drinking can lead to increased risks of cancer, heart and liver disease, stroke and weaken your immune system, according to the CDC.
What states experience the lowest binge drinking rates?
It may not be a surprise that Utah is the state with the lowest binge drinking rates. Find Recovery reported Utah’s binge drinking rate at 11.9%.
Utah has more stringent liquor laws compared to Iowa such as restaurant patrons must order food with alcohol. Liquor and wine is sold exclusively at liquor stores, so don’t expect to grab a bottle while getting gas in Utah.
What states experience the highest binge drinking rates?
How to quit drinking
Binge drinking can be a sign of alcohol dependence or addiction.
These warning signs may be a sign that you need to seek help, according to Your Life Iowa:
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to treating alcohol addiction, but there are many solutions so you can find the right treatment for you. Some include:
For more information regarding the different treatment methods for binge drinking, visit the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism or Alcoholics Anonymous.
You can also call Your Life Iowa at 855-581-8111, text 855-895-8398 or start a live chat at yourlifeiowa.org to speak with a trained counselor who can help screen you and connect you with help.
Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Binge drinking rates in Iowa rank higher than any other state in the country
Reporting by Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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