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Posted: Wed 9:56 PM, Jan 09, 2013
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A third of Hoosiers admit to binge drinking

HOLD FOR RELEASE UNTIL THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 2012 AT 12:01 A.M. EST. THIS STORY MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST OR POSTED ONLINE BEFORE 12:01 A.M. EST - In this Sunday, March 22, 2009 photo, a man carries two beers back to his seat during a spring training baseball game in Kissimmee, Fla. Americans get too many calories from soda. But what about alcohol? It turns out adults get almost as many empty calories from booze as from soft drinks, a government study released Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 found. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

A recent study found that more than a third of Hoosiers admit to binge drinking on a regular basis.

The Global Health Institute at Ball State University assembled “The Burden of Alcohol Use in Indiana” report which showed that in 2011, 51.6 percent of adults classify themselves as regular drinkers, while 34.7 percent say they are binge drinkers, and 11.8 percent state they drink heavily.

Binge drinking is defined as males having five or more drinks, or women having four or more drinks during one occasion.

“Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases, neurological impairments and social problems,” said Kerry Anne McGeary, GHI director and Phyllis A. Miller professor of health economics at Ball State.

Doctors say excessive alcohol use has immediate effects that can increase the risk of harmful conditions including injuries, violence, risky sexual behavior, alcohol poisoning and complications with pregnancy.

The state of Indian has the 32nd highest percentage of binge drinkers in the country.

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