Men are more likely than women to drink excessively.1 Excessive drinking is associated with significant risks to men’s health and safety, and the risks increase with the amount of alcohol consumed. Men are also more likely than women to take other risks (such as misusing other substances, having multiple sex partners, or not wearing a seat belt), that when combined with alcohol, further increase their risk of illness, injury or death.2-5
Adult Men Drink More than Women
- Almost 58% of adult men report drinking alcohol in the past 30 days compared with 49% of adult women.1
- Men are more likely to binge drink than women. Approximately 21% of men report binge drinking, compared with 13% of women. Among men who binge drink, 25% do so at least five times a month, on average, and 25% consume at least nine drinks during a binge drinking occasion.1
- In 2020, 13% of adult men had an alcohol use disorder compared with 9% of adult women.2
Alcohol is Associated with Injury, Violence, and Other Harms
- Men have higher rates of alcohol-related hospitalizations than women.6
- About two-thirds of deaths from excessive drinking are among males, totaling nearly 120,000 deaths each year in the U.S.7
- Among drivers in fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes, men are 50% more likely to have been intoxicated (i.e., a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater) compared with women.8
- Excessive alcohol consumption increases aggression and may increase the risk of physically assaulting another person.9 Alcohol is a key risk factor for sexual violence perpetration.10
- Males are more than three times as likely to die by suicidethan females, and more likely to have been drinking prior to suicide.11-13
- Alcohol use is one of the most important preventable risk factors for cancer.14Alcohol use increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, and colon, which are more common among men.14,15 Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of prostate cancer.16
Alcohol May Affect Men’s Sexual and Reproductive Health
- Excessive alcohol use can interfere with testicular function and male hormone production resulting in erectile dysfunction and infertility.17
- Alcohol use by men also increases the chances of engaging in risky sexual activity including unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, or sex with a partner at risk for sexually transmitted infections.18,19
Men can reduce the amount of alcohol they drink to reduce their risk of health problems and other harms.
The Alcohol Use and Your Health Fact Sheetaddresses a number of additional health conditions associated with excessive alcohol use that affect both men and women.
