European binge drinking "unmasked"

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Is European binge drinking the continental equivalent of the American obesity epidemic?

"Most certainly yes," according to the latest European Union survey on Europe's drinking habits, in which case Europeans should brace themselves for a parade of public health campaigns. The usual suspects, most notably EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou, have already expressed alarm at the survey. 

So, just how much are the Europeans drinking? Writes Der Spiegel:

The European Commission said that about 55 million adults -- 10 percent of Europe's population -- drink at harmful levels. This makes the continent the heaviest drinking region in the world, with the average adult consuming the equivalent of 11 liters (23.25 pints) of pure alcohol per year."

And the worst part?

The study -- which polled 28,584 people between last October and November -- found that for young people in particular, the odd drink is not enough to satisfy their thirst: almost one in five between the ages of 15 and 24 consumes five or more beverages in one session, defined as the benchmark for binge drinking."

European governments, meanwhile, have been quick to pin various maladies affecting their populations—195,000 deaths, 10 percent of all illnesses, shoddy driving, and, at least in Britain, half of the crime rate—on the binging. And with three-quarters of Europeans evidently in favor of stricter alcohol regulations, it looks like the cops have just arrived at the continent's continuing bender.