With Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday, did you know that Thanksgiving Eve has skyrocketed to be one of the biggest binge drinking days of the year?

Some call it “Drinksgiving” or “Blackout Wednesday”, but nonetheless, it is a monster night for the bar industry.

Health expert, Karen Owoc explained to KRON 4’s Marty Gonzalez the why’s and why not’s of this big drinking holiday.

Karen found that some bar owners say their business goes up as much as 400% compared to an average Wednesday.

It’s considered the “holiday before the holiday”.

Many people binge drink.

It is defined as having the following within a two-hour period:

* Women: 4 or more drinks

* Men: 5 or more drinks

Long-Term Health Dangers from Binge Drinking

1. Heart Disease: Binge drinking can cause weakening of the heart muscles even in 20- and 30-somethings and results in congestive heart failure.

2. Blood Pressure: There is a definitive link between blood pressure and the amount of alcohol consumed.

3. Cancer: Alcohol is a known carcinogen for areas of the head and neck — the mouth, esophagus, throat. Long-term binge drinking may also increase the risk for cancers of the liver and breast.

4. Brain Damage: Binge drinking impacts the developing brain whereby a person in their 20’s is especially vulnerable to long-term memory loss and an inability to learn new skills in the years to come.

5. Alcohol Poisoning (Death): From 2010 to 2012, alcohol poisoning was responsible for approximately 2,200 deaths each year, or six deaths per day. Most people who die from alcohol poisoning are white men ages 35 to 64, ac-cording to the CDC.

The Takeaway: More than 38 million U.S. adults binge drink. Know your limits, watch your intake, and consider the immediate and long-term health risk

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