With a growing percentage of Larimer County businesses taking part in the alcohol-related culture that is so prevalent in Fort Collins, how has that affected its residence when it comes to consuming alcoholic beverages? In a recently released study by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, and published in the American Journal of Public Health, drinking patterns of U.S. counties were tracked from 2002 to 2012. According to the Coloradoan, almost seventy percent of drinking age adults in the county consume alcohol.

The study looked at the severity of peoples drinking habits as compared to 202 and 2012. It was discovered that excessive drinking in Larimer County was above the national average, and has been on the rise.

Females prevalence for "heavy" drinking has increased since 2005 by 1.3%, to 7.6% of the population, with the national average at 6.7%. For men, heavy drinking increased by 1.6% to 10%, with the national average coming in at 9.9%.

The study also looked at the male and females prevalence for "binge" drinking. Since 2002, this number has actually decreased for both men and women, dropping by 2.1% for women and only slightly for men at 0.3%. Females pension for "binge" drinking in Larimer County came in at 13.1% of the population, compared to the national average of 12.4%. For men, 26% of the counties population engages in "binge" drinking. This is much higher than the national average of 24.5% of the male population.

So what is a "heavy" and "binge" drinker? The study classifies a "heavy" drinker, for women, as someone who drank more than one drink a day for a month. For men, the daily drink was increased to more than two. "Binge" drinkers are classified as women who consume four or more drinks in one sitting a month, and men who take down five or more. According to the study, 20.2% of the total U.S. population is classified as "binge" drinkers.

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