The end of 2024 is drawing near, and it’s a safe bet many area residents are planning to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

According to a recent top 10 drunkest holidays list, NYE takes the cork.

And while most will make it to their beds just fine early Thursday (or if you’re one of the tame ones, late Wednesday) — we’d like to take a moment to remind revelers to be safe.

Drinking should always be done safely, in moderation and, if traveling to different locations, with a designated driver.

Getting behind the wheel after a few drinks is a sure way to put yourself — and everyone sharing a roadway or vehicle with you — at risk.

But driving is not the only danger when drinking. Binge drinking brings its own set of risks.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above.

“This typically happens when men consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about two hours,” according to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Binge drinking is associated with several health problems, the CDC site says, including:

≤ Unintentional injuries (e.g., car crashes, falls, burns, drowning);

≤ Intentional injuries (e.g., firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence);

≤ Alcohol poisoning;

≤ Sexually transmitted diseases;

≤ Unintended pregnancy;

≤ Children born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders;

≤ High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases;

≤ Liver disease;

≤ Neurological damage;

≤ Sexual dysfunction; and

≤ Poor control of diabetes.

And while this list is grim enough on its own, we’ll add a few more:

≤ Embarrassment

≤ Regret

Having a few drinks with family or friends might be an enjoyable way to ring in the New Year, but a few too many is all it takes for a pleasant holiday to turn disastrous — even deadly.