New data from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that in 2014, nearly 31,000 Americans died from alcohol-induced causes, including alcohol poisoning and cirrhosis of the liver. That’s more than the number of Americans who died that year from overdoses of heroin and prescription painkillers combined (29,000). Add in fatalities from drunk driving and other accidents or homicides committed while under the influence and the 2014 alcohol-induced death toll rises to around 90,000. These statistics may be eye opening to some, but not to us. Univera Healthcare published a report a few years back about alcohol use among upstate New York adults.

We reviewed a CDC survey that defined binge drinking as men having five or more drinks and women having four or more drinks on an occasion during the previous month. A 12-ounce beer, 5-ounce glass of wine or 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof spirits is considered one drink. About 30 percent of men and 15 percent of women in Western New York reported binging on alcohol during the previous 30 days.

The CDC defined heavy drinking as men averaging more than two alcoholic drinks per day and women averaging more than one alcoholic drink per day during the previous month.

Perhaps you’ve heard that light to moderate drinking is good for your heart. Before seizing on that as a free pass to pour another glass, the National Institutes of Health warns that with heavy drinking, the serious health risks far outweigh any potential benefits.

Alcohol is a major factor in deaths due to motor vehicle crashes, falls, suicides, homicides, burn injuries and drownings, and contributes to half of all severe traumatic injuries and sexual assaults. Heavy drinkers are at high risk for liver and cardiovascular diseases, sleep disorders, depression, stomach bleeding, various cancers and sexually transmitted diseases. If they already have a chronic condition such as diabetes or hypertension, managing it becomes very difficult, and babies born to women who used alcohol during their pregnancy can suffer brain damage and potentially lifelong health problems.

According to figures in our report from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, New York state spent about $2.2 billion on alcohol-related-health care in 2005. That same year, health care linked to alcohol use cost federal, state and local governments nearly $144 billion. We published our report in 2011, so those dollar amounts have no doubt increased.

So, are you a binge drinker, heavy drinker or a light to moderate drinker? According to the CDC and others, the line of separation can be a thin one.

We encourage those who regularly consume alcohol to take a moment to reassess where they are on that spectrum, since the stats clearly show people are drinking more, and alcohol-induced deaths are on the rise.

Richard Vienne, D.O., is vice president and chief medical officer of Univera Healthcare.