Report: Minnesota Is Among Worst for Fatal Binge Drinking

GOLDEN VALLEY (AP) - A new national health report has determined Minnesota is among the states with the most fatal binge drinking cases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report Tuesday ranking Minnesota eighth for deaths caused by alcohol poisoning. Although the agency didn't say exactly how many people died in each state, it says an average of six Americans died each day from 2010 to 2012 because of excessive drinking. The demographic with the biggest drinking problem was middle-aged white men.

Dr. Joe Lee of the Halzeden Betty Ford Foundation says alcohol costs the U.S. $230 billion each year. He says binge drinking is a major public health issue that also leads to assaults, rapes and traffic deaths.