A surprising number of Americans are drinking too much alcohol, too fast.

A new report from the government is raising an alarm about binge drinking. This means tossing back at least four drinks in a short period for women, or five drinks for men.

Binge drinking is more of a problem than experts had previously realized. More than 38 million American adults binge-drink. That's one in six. They do so roughly four times a month. And on average, their heaviest drinking session involves eight drinks. Young adults account for an especially large portion of binge drinkers, which isn't too surprising. However, people ages 65 and older binge-drink most frequently.

Each year, binge drinking causes more than 40,000 deaths and $167 billion dollars in costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC offers this advice for people who may have a problem with alcohol:

• Stick to moderate drinking, which means no more than one drink daily for women or two for men. Binge drinking puts you well over this line.
• If you think you have a problem with alcohol, your health care provider is a good source for help.
• You can also call a nationwide service to find alcohol treatment programs in your area. Here's the number: 1-800-662-HELP

I'm Dr. Cindy Haines of HealthDay TV, with the news that doctors are reading; health news that matters to you.