If you believe you have an unhealthy relationship with alcohol, call the SAMHSA National Helpline for Mental Health at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nearly 18% of adult New Yorkers binge drink, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coming off the heels of a St. Patrick’s Day weekend, one neuroscientist is urging caution to people celebrating by drinking a lot of alcohol in little time.

“Everyone’s response to alcohol is not going to be the same," said Dr. Panayotis Thanos, a neuroscientist at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine. "Avoid alcohol. Obviously, there are options and, you know, in a social setting you can have beverages that are non-alcoholic and those are going to still allow you to partake and engage in those social rewards that we want."

Dr. Thanos said drinking too much too quickly can cause immediate health risks like slowed breathing, a decrease in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and alcohol poisoning, which can be deadly. Long-term risks include diseases of the liver, heart and pancreas, as well as brain damage.

According to the CDC, 178,000 deaths each year in the U.S. are alcohol related.

He said typically binge drinking is defined as four or more drinks in a two-hour period for women and five for men, but the real numbers are subjective to someone's metabolism, body mass index and genetics.