A study found that Chula Vista’s unemployed are among the least likely to be heavy drinkers in California.
A statewide study by Rehabs.com, a leading provider of addiction treatment resources, used data by the County Health Rankings to find the number of unemployed and those identified as heavy drinkers. Researchers found that Chula Vista has a 21 percent excessive drinking rate, and an unemployment rate of 3.2 percent (50,643 people), ranking it in 52nd place out of California's 58 counties.
Researchers found that Imperial County ranked at the top for the highest rate of unemployed drinkers with 19,763 excessive drinkers, and an 18.3 percent unemployment rate.
Santa Clara County came in at last place with a county of 210,252 excessive drinkers compared against a 2.5 percent unemployment rate.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies binge drinking as a serious, but preventable public health issue nationwide. Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 g/dl or above, this typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, or women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours.
These limits are lower for women because they tend to have smaller bodies and less water to dilute alcohol, so the concentration of alcohol in their blood will be higher than in a man who drinks the same amount.
It's estimated that 77 percent of the cost of excessive alcohol consumption in the U.S. is due to binge drinking. According to the CDC, most people who binge drink do not have a severe alcohol use disorder.
Alcoholism has a wide range of long-term risks to individuals, their loved ones, and the public. It could result in car accidents, serious falls, injuries, and alcohol poisoning.
According to the CDC, long-term risks of Alcoholism that are not widely known include:
- High blood pressure
- Heart arrhythmias
- Increased risk of developing diabetes
- Higher cancer risks, including cancers of the breast, pancreas, liver, lung, and gastrointestinal system
- Mental health problems
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
- Memory and learning issues
Although alcohol use disorder (AUD) is common in the United States, is treatable, and there is a wide variety of rehabs, addiction treatment programs, and aftercare services.
Those struggling with an alcohol addiction may receive medical attention and support to maintain sobriety at treatment facilities that provide patients with care from medical for the treatment of their AUD.
In addition to treatment for alcohol addiction, many facilities also specialize in rehabilitation from substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions and offer patients treatment in a private residential setting or outpatient treatment services.
“Heavy (or binge) drinking is an extremely common pattern of drinking among people with or without an addiction to alcohol says a Rehabs.com spokesperson. “This type of excessive drinking can be detrimental to a person’s health and overall quality of life, regardless of their age, gender or employment status.”
