Dr. Max Gomez: CDC Wants Americans To Put The Drinks Down
NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- Put the drinks down! That is the advice for many people after the release of a report that revealed that tens of millions of Americans have been drinking too much.
Social drinker Christian Dempsey told CBS 2's Dr. Max Gomez that he consumes about five glasses of alcohol every week.
"I don't think that's a major concern right now. As long as you do everything in moderation," he said.
Dempsey never mentioned his drinking to his doctor and new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that most doctors never discussed alcohol use with their patients.
At least 38-million Americans consume too much alcohol and while most are not alcoholics excessive drinking can cause serious health problems, according to government health officials.
There are several different patterns of problem drinking, CBS 2's Dr. Gomez reported. One is binge drinking, a second is heavy drinking throughout the week which means more than two drinks per day for men and more than one per day for women.
The report considers a standard drink to be five ounces of wine, twelve ounces of beer, or a shot of 80 proof liquor. Excessive drinking causes about 88,000 death a year, according to the CDC.
Researchers have found that alcohol screening and counseling can reduce a binge drinkers consumption by as much as 25 percent.
"Screening for excess alcohol use needs to become routine. Just as we screen for high cholesterol and high blood pressure," one expert explained.
The CDC recommends that all adults have an honest talk about drinking with their doctors.
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