Denver Has A Drinking Problem, Health Officials Say

DENVER, CO — People in Denver over-drink, according to newly-released data from the city's health department. The data show that 27 percent of Denver adults binge drink. Drinking five or more drinks for men or four or more drinks for women over two hours is considered binge drinking, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

“Most of us use alcohol – we’re very familiar with it, hence we don’t see it,” Dr. Bill Burman, executive director of Denver Public Health, said in a statement. “But let me be clear: Denver has a drinking problem.”

Burman said Denver residents are "overfamiliar" with alcohol.

“Coors Field, tailgating, the Great American Beer Festival, the rise of microbreweries and micro-distilleries – even a new exhibit at the history museum celebrate Denver’s connection to alcohol.”

Dr. Tim Naimi, a faculty member at Boston Medical Center’s Grayken Center for Addiction, said many states "have more restrictive policy environments" than Colorado.

"The good news is, with Colorado's lax policies, there's a lot of room for improvement," Naimi said.

Binge drinking is associated with a wide range of health problems, including car crashes and falls; violence; a greater risk of sexually transmitted infections; and chronic diseases including depression, high blood pressure, stroke, cirrhosis, heart dysfunction and cancer, Denver Public Health said.

In 2018, the consequences of Denver’s high rate of alcohol use showed up in emergency room visits and car crashes, according to the health department:

• About 30,000 people came to the Denver Health emergency room for a substance-abuse related issue; of those, the leading cause (36 percent) was alcohol abuse, according Denver Health data.
• Another 16,708 people or 46 per day were admitted to Denver CARES, a community-based, non-medical detoxification unit, for public intoxication with alcohol.
• Some 38 percent of fatal motor vehicle crashes in Denver involved alcohol, a relatively high proportion compared with other urban areas, officials said.

Increasing alcohol prices through taxes is one proven method for curbing excessive alcohol use. Colorado ranks 39th in taxes on wine, 46th in taxes on beer and 47th in taxes on spirits, according to the Tax Foundation.