The following is a statement by Frank Coleman, Distilled Spirits Council Senior Vice President, in response to today’s CDC report on binge drinking:

The distilled spirits industry is opposed to over-consumption by any segment of our society and CDC’s attention on binge drinking is appropriate.  The spirits industry is committed to working to further reduce binge drinking through its programs such as The Century Council’s successful “Girl Talk” program initiated in 2003.  These are the kinds of solutions that have been making a difference.  In fact, CDC’s own data show that binge drinking among girls has declined by 25% over the last decade to historic lows.

For women of legal drinking age, where US Government data shows that binge drinking statistics have been flat, we continue to encourage them to follow the advice of the Federal government’s Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol.  The industry was recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for promoting the Federal Dietary Guideline on responsible alcohol consumption and has long supported moderation programs including, recently, Drinkinmoderation.org.