RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A new study has found Americans are drinking much more than they were a decade ago.
A study published in JAMA Psychiatry tracked drinking patterns among 40,000 people during 2002 and 2003, and again in 2013 and 2014.
During that time, alcohol use disorders rose by nearly 50 percent.
Alcohol use disorders are defined as situations where drinking interferes with home, family or job responsibilities and increases chances of danger or injury.
Researchers estimate that 30 million people in the U.S. – about one in every eight Americans – struggle with an alcohol use disorder.
The greatest increase was found among senior citizens, where there was a 106.7 percent increase.
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