Silicon Valley Leads California In Binge Drinking
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) -- The Bay Area is hitting the bottle hard. Binge drinking has shot up over the past decade with several counties well above the state average, and the tech boom might have something to do with it.
Research conducted by the University of Washington found binge drinking in Santa Clara County went up 28 percent in a decade, the highest of any county in California. Not far behind are San Mateo County and San Francisco.
The rise in binge drinking is mainly being attributed to women catching up to men, and it's no more evident than in Silicon Valley. Among women, binge drinking rose almost 36 percent in Santa Clara County, that's one of the highest increases anywhere in the country.
Researchers say there are a couple of factors. One is a social shift where it is becoming more acceptable for women to drink in ways men traditionally have. Another is the influx of young professionals, particularly in the tech field. The researchers described techies as hard-working and hard-partying.
"It is a high pressure area. Silicon Valley is a high pressure area, and when people get out of work maybe they have a few more drinks," bar patron Jason Aquilos told KPIX 5.
The study is the first to look at drinking rates by county.
Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks for women, and five or more for men, on a single occasion.
