Official Site of The State of New Jersey
Alcohol Consumption - Binge Drinking
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Alcohol Consumption - Binge Drinking by County, New Jersey, 2018-2021
Estimated Percentage of Adults
- Undetermined
- 10.0% - 12.4%
- 12.4%+ - 14.2%
- 14.2%+ - 16.7%
- 16.7%+ - 23.6%
Why Is This Important?
Binge drinking is an indicator of potentially serious alcohol abuse, and is related to driving under the influence of alcohol. It is a problem nationally, especially among males and young adults. Alcohol abuse is strongly associated with injuries and violence, chronic liver disease, fetal alcohol syndrome, and risk of other acute and chronic health conditions.
Definition
Percentage of adults aged 18 years and older who reported binge drinking during the 30 days prior to the survey.
A drink of alcohol is 1 can or bottle of beer, 1 glass of wine, 1 can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 cocktail, or 1 shot of liquor.
Starting in 2006, the definition of binge drinking changed to consuming five or more drinks on an occasion for men, or four or more drinks on an occasion for women one or more times during the past 30 days.
Data Sources
- Behavioral Risk Factor Survey, Center for Health Statistics, New Jersey Department of Health
(http://www.nj.gov/health/chs/njbrfs/) - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.html)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | Number of survey respondents (weighted) who reported binge drinking during the 30 days prior to the survey. |
| Denominator: | Total number of survey respondents (weighted), excluding those with missing, "Don't know/Not sure" or "Refused" responses. |
How Are We Doing?
In New Jersey, the estimated percentage of adults who reported binge drinking in the past 30 days in 2021 was 14.5%. The binge drinking rate is highest among Whites (16.1%), followed by Hispanics (14.5%), Asians (11.2%) ,and Blacks (10.4%).
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Estimates from 2020 showed similar estimated prevalence of reported binge drinking for U.S. (15.7%) and New Jersey adults (15.2%) (crude rates).
Available Services
The New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services offers prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery services.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has a toll-free referral helpline -- 1-800-662-HELP (4357) -- and a Treatment Services Locator.
More Resources
National Institutes of Health: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/
CDC National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Alcohol Use: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/