Drinksgiving becoming deadly popular

For a growing number of young adults, today marks Drinksgiving.

What is it? Well, if this helps, it’s also known as Blackout Wednesday. And it’s been gaining popularity since 2012.

“We want to caution our communities about this dangerous trend that can very well make its way down here to the Valley very soon,” Liz Urbina, a drug prevention specialist with Communities Against Substance Abuse, or CASA, stated Tuesday.

In more and more cities, friends are getting together for drinks on Thanksgiving Eve before sitting down with their families for turkey the next day, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Now, MADD is blaming Drinksgiving for turning the day before the Thanksgiving holiday into the nation’s deadliest, leading to about 800 deaths in the last four years, Ashlyn Wall, a drug prevention specialist with CASA, stated.

“This holiday promotes binge drinking which is a very dangerous activity which often leads to long-term addiction, blacking out, passing out, alcohol poisoning, drunk driving and in some cases even death,” Wall stated.

On the eve of the long Thanksgiving holiday, college students are back home while many workers are on vacation.

So many start celebrating.

“It has quickly grown to be a widespread epidemic in some areas of the U.S. and has become increasingly popular among young adults, particularly college students,” Wall stated.

Urbina warns some nightclubs are cashing in on its popularity.

In Blue Island, Ill., the Brickyard Bar helped launch Blackout Wednesday as a promotion.

Soon, police in states such as Indiana and Minnesota on Blackout Wednesday were stepping up patrols to curb drunken driving.

Now in south Chicago’s suburbs, Blackout Wednesday often rivals New Year’s Eve as the biggest annual party night.

“There are hosted events at bars and clubs that challenge these young adults to drink more than they normally would,” Urbina stated.

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2012 to 2016

Thanksgiving holidays, from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 5:59 a.m. Monday

Drunken driving crashes have led to more than 800 deaths

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In Blue Island, Ill., the Brickyard Bar helped launch Blackout Wednesday as a promotion.

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In some cities, Blackout Wednesday is becoming the biggest party night of the year, rivaling New Year's Eve.