Study shows which counties in New Mexico have the most excessive drinkers
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – A new report by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute shed light on excessive drinking in New Mexico.
The annual County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report is intended to highlight the factors that can impact our health outcomes and disparities nationwide. To calculate each region’s drinking rate, researchers used self-reported data from the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance system. For the latest report, data from 2021 was used.
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The CDC considers both binge drinking and heavy drinking as “excessive.” Binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks in one sitting among women, and five or more among men. For women, having eight or more alcoholic drinks in one week is labeled as heavy drinking, while for men, that benchmark is 15 or more drinks.
When looking at data from New Mexico, the county with the highest rate of excessive drinkers was Lea County, with 17% of adults in the southeast county self-reported binge or heavy drinking in 2021.
Rounding out the top five counties in the state with the highest rate of excessive drinkers were Los Alamos (16%), Eddy (16%), Bernalillo (16%), and Roosevelt (15%).
Catron County in the southwestern part of New Mexico had the lowest rate of self-reported excessive drinkers with 10%. A majority of counties in New Mexico had an excessive drinking rate of 13%.
The interactive maps below show the percentage of adults who self-reported binge or heavy drinking in 2021, according to the available data. By tapping or hovering over areas on the map, you’ll see the most recent excessive drinking rate.
New Mexico overall had an average excessive drinking rate of 16%, which is down from 18% in the previous year of 2020. In the United States, the state with the highest excessive drinking rate was Wisconsin with 25%. It was followed by the District of Columbia (24%), Montana (24%), North Dakota (23%), and Iowa (23%).
Earlier this month, the CDC released a study showing deaths linked to excessive drinking surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020-2021, the average annual number of deaths from “excessive alcohol use” was up by about 30% compared to 2016-2017, The Hill reports.
The authors of the study noted that during the peak of the pandemic, many states began offering expanded alcohol carryout and home delivery; and businesses serving and selling alcohol were allowed to remain open.
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The authors also noted that “general delays in seeking medical attention, including avoidance of emergency departments for alcohol-related conditions; stress, loneliness, and social isolation; and mental health conditions might also have contributed to the increase in deaths from excessive alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic.”Last summer, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism warned that the U.S. could tighten its alcohol consumption parameters when they are reviewed for the 2025 national guidelines.
