(WISH) — Americans are smack dab in the middle of an alcohol crisis.

According to the federal National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 12% of deaths between the ages of 20 and 64 are caused by alcohol abuse. It’s fourth-leading preventable cause of death.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 25% of U.S. adults binge-drink at least weekly.

Not only can drinking kill, but too much can cause a form of permanent brain damage called Wernicke Korsakoff syndrome, or wet brain.

News 8’s Brittany Noble has more in Tuesday night’s Health Spotlight.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. Health Spotlight is presented by Community Health Network.