Alcohol poisoning kills more than six people each day in America, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released today. 
 
 But they're not the people that even experts thought were vulnerable. 
 
 The data shows that alcohol poisoning -- a result of binge drinking -- kills more than 2,200 Americans a year, but 70 percent of them weren't identified as alcoholics. Three in four of these deaths involved adults between 35 and 64 years old, and most of them occurred among white men, according to the report. 
 
 "This study shows that alcohol poisoning deaths are not just a problem among young people," report co-author Dr. Robert Brewer, who leads the CDC Alcohol Program, said in a statement. 
 
 The survey is interesting because it points toward a new alcohol poisoning demographic that addiction experts weren't aware of, said psychologist Paul Rinaldi, who directs the Addiction Institute of New York, Mount Sinai Roosevelt and Mount Sinai St. Luke's. He said many of those who died were probably weekend binge drinkers who function normally during the week and don't think they have a problem. 
 
 "What I think very interesting in this is that these people have probably been doing this for a long time, so why are they now dying of it?" Rinaldi said. "This is showing the dangers, the real dangers, of binge drinking, which we tend to associate with younger people." 
 
 He said it may show that drinking over time has an effect on the body that leads to some kind of biological change that contributes alcohol poisoning. Fatal alcohol poisoning can occurs when the brain is no longer able to control breathing, heart rate or temperature properly as a result of binge drinking. 
 
 He said the study doesn't point at causation, but raises new questions for further research. ||||| Alcohol poisoning deaths are caused by drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. This can result in very high levels of alcohol in the body, which can shutdown critical areas of the brain that control breathing, heart rate, and body temperature – resulting in death. 
 
 Despite the risks, more than 38 million U.S. adults report binge drinking an average of four times per month and consume an average of eight drinks per binge. Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men on an occasion. The more you drink, the greater your risk of death. 
 
 Key findings of this Vital Signs report include: 
 
 There are more than 2,200 alcohol poisoning deaths in the U.S. each year – an average of 6 alcohol poisoning deaths every day. 
 
 Three in four alcohol poisoning deaths involve adults ages 35-64, and most deaths occur among men. 
 
 While the majority of deaths are among non-Hispanic whites, American Indians/Alaska Natives have the most alcohol poisoning deaths per million people. 
 
 Deaths rates from alcohol poisoning vary widely across states, from 5.3 alcohol poisoning deaths per million residents in Alabama to 46.5 deaths per million residents in Alaska. 
 
 States and communities can take steps to reduce alcohol poisoning deaths by preventing binge drinking, including: 
 
 Supporting proven programs and policies to decrease binge drinking. States with stronger alcohol policies have less binge drinking. 
 
 Partnering with police, community groups, health departments, and doctors, nurses, and other health care providers to reduce binge drinking and related harms. 
 
 Monitoring the role of alcohol in injuries and deaths. 
 
 CDC scientists analyzed deaths from alcohol poisoning among people aged 15 years and older, using multiple cause-of-death data from the National Vital Statistics System for 2010-2012. Alcohol dependence (alcoholism) was identified as a contributing factor in 30 percent of these deaths, and other drugs were noted to have been a factor in about 3 percent of the deaths. While this study reveals that alcohol poisoning deaths are a bigger problem than previously thought, it is still likely to be an underestimate. 
 
 Vital Signs is a CDC report that appears on the first Tuesday of the month as part of the CDC journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, or MMWR. The report provides the latest data and information on key health indicators. These are cancer prevention, obesity, tobacco use, motor vehicle passenger safety, prescription drug overdose, HIV/AIDS, alcohol use, healthcare-associated infections, cardiovascular health, teen pregnancy, and food safety. ||||| TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health 
 
 America has a drinking problem, with 2,200 people dying each year from alcohol poisoning. That’s an average of six alcohol-related deaths a day, a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report says. 
 
 Alcohol poisoning happens when people drink an excessive amount of alcohol in a short amount of time, causing high levels of alcohol in the body to interfere with and even shutdown parts of the brain that are critical for controlling vitals like heart rate, body temperature, and breathing. Eventually, that can lead to death. 
 
 Over 38 million Americans binge drink an average of four times a month, and consume an average of eight drinks per binge, according to the new CDC Vital Signs report. Interestingly, the report shows that the majority of alcohol poisoning deaths happen in adults between the ages of 35 and 64, and 76% of those who die are men, revealing binge drinking is not a behavior solely observed among young people. The CDC reports that while the most deaths occur among non-Hispanic whites, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the most deaths per million people. The death rates also vary widely state to state. For example, alcohol poisoning deaths in Alaska add up to 46.5 deaths per million residents, and in Alabama it’s 5.3 per million residents. 
 
 The CDC says the report shows alcohol poisoning deaths are a greater problem than previously believed, and that the numbers are likely an underestimate since alcohol-related deaths are known to be underreported. Alcoholism was a factor in 30% of the deaths and other drug use was a factor in only 3%. 
 
 “Alcohol poisoning deaths are a heartbreaking reminder of the dangers of excessive alcohol use, which is a leading cause of preventable deaths in the U.S.,” CDC principal deputy director Ileana Arias said in a statement. 
 
 In response, the CDC is calling for more members of the medical community to screen and talk to their patients about alcohol, since numbers show only one in six U.S. adults has reported ever talked about their drinking with a health professional. States with stronger alcohol policies also have less binge drinking, and should partner with community workers including police and health workers for better programs, CDC says.
– If most people were asked to name the demographic mostly likely to die from alcohol poisoning after binge drinking, it's a safe bet that "college students" would be at the top of the list. As it turns out, the correct answer is middle-aged white men, reports ABC News. A new CDC report shows that 2,200 Americans, or about six people per day, die from alcohol poisoning each year—the result of drinking too much in too short a time. But 75% of those victims are ages 35 to 64, most are men, and most are white. "What I think very interesting in this is that these people have probably been doing this for a long time, so why are they now dying of it?" asks the director of the Addiction Institute of New York. He figures most victims are probably weekend drinkers who wouldn't think they had a problem. "This is showing the dangers, the real dangers, of binge drinking, which we tend to associate with younger people." The report also finds that 38 million Americans binge-drink four times a month, with an average for eight drinks per sitting, reports Time. On a per-capita basis, American Indians and Alaska Natives have the most deaths. (At the very least, binge drinking seems to mess up your immune system.)