The Health Mistake You're More Likely to Make on Your Birthday

The Health Mistake You're More Likely to Make on Your Birthday

Read this before you blow out the candles.

If you've ever celebrated your birthday with a round (or four) of shots, you're definitely not alone—but that doesn't mean it's a harmless tradition. According to a study published in the journal Addiction, there's an increase in binge drinking and other alcohol-related hospital visits around birthdays, especially among younger people.

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Canadian researchers studied all in-patient and ER hospital admissions in Ontario, Canada over a five-year period from 2002 to 2007, looking to analyze whether the rate of alcohol-related incidents increased around patients' birthdays. Researchers found a significant increase in alcohol-related admissions around birthday weeks in patients aged 20-22, followed by somewhat lower spikes in patients aged 23-26 and 30. But the biggest increase was seen in 19 year olds around their birthday week, as 19 is the legal drinking age in Ontario. Having flashbacks to your 21st birthday debauchery? Yeah, we thought so.

MORE: What One Night of Binge Drinking Does to Your Body

While these findings may not be too surprising, they highlight something you probably haven't stopped to think about before: Binge drinking is much more common around a person's birthday. Due to the significant increases noted in this study, the researchers acknowledge a need for intervention. Past efforts have included send-outs and web-based screening programs aimed at college students, but perhaps the best prevention method is awareness.

So take note, and be a good friend: If you're out celebrating a birthday with your best friend, do her a favor by watching her alcohol consumption. Make sure she eats, alternate each of her cocktails with water, cut her off before she has one too many, and never allow her to drink and drive.

And if your birthday is coming up, you might want to plan an alcohol-free celebration, like a group cycling class, a spa day, or a trip to the beach. 

MORE: 5 Serious Dangers of Day Drinking

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