To commemorate the life of the patron saint of Ireland on the anniversary of his death, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17 with vibrant green decorations, outfits, foods and drinks, but Americans frequently take this celebration of a traditionally religious holiday to an extreme. In fact, St. Patrick’s Day is one of the deadliest days to be on the road due to a spike in drunk driving-related incidents.

Credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, Saint Patrick was born in Britain and came to Ireland as a slave. During his captivity, he turned to Christianity and eventually became a missionary. Saint Patrick explained the Holy Trinity to non-believers using the three leaves of the shamrock, a symbol strongly associated with Irish culture to this day. Since then, Christianity has become the most followed religion in Ireland.

Expanding on Ireland’s age-old Roman Catholic feast held on March 17 in remembrance of the saint, St. Patrick’s Day parades began in America. Irishman Ricardo Artur organized a parade in what is now St. Augustine, Florida in 1601. From there, the tradition was spread by homesick Irish soldiers serving in England’s military in the late 1700s, gaining traction in highly populated cities like Boston and New York.

St. Patrick’s Day is only officially recognized in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Montserrat, but the largest celebrations are held in North America. It’s also one of the most global holidays, with celebrations taking place from Montreal to Tokyo.

Today, everything from beer to the Chicago River are dyed green for the St. Patrick’s Day season. Although we often associate this color with the holiday, green was not a part of St. Patrick’s Day tradition until 1798. Blue was originally displayed on flags and other celebratory decorations.

St. Patrick’s Day is characterized by the consumption of alcohol because Christians are allowed to put aside their Lenten restrictions and indulge in food and alcoholic beverages. However, until the 1970s, pubs in Ireland were closed on March 17 in observance of the holiday. This has since changed to allow for increased tourism and celebration throughout the country.

In America, beer sales increase by approximately 174% each St. Patrick’s Day, and the average American spends more than $42 on drinks. As the world’s best selling Irish beer, roughly 13 million pints of Guinness are sold around the globe on this holiday. Unfortunately, these trends are dangerous for both drinkers and non-drinkers.

Binge drinking, defined as consuming at least five drinks for men and four drinks for women on a single occasion, unfailingly spikes each March 17. The average St. Patrick’s Day drinker consumes 4.2 drinks, but that doesn’t mean this statistic should be normalized. Binge drinking can have deadly consequences.

More than a third of the approximately 178,000 alcohol-related deaths that occur annually in America can be attributed to binge drinking. Even one instance of excessive drinking can lead to severe consequences such as cardiomyopathy, which makes it difficult for the heart to pump blood to the rest of the body.

Additionally, people who binge drink are 14 times more likely to drink and drive than those who don’t binge, despite the risks being dramatically greater. Dozens of people are killed daily from drunk driving, and this number surges on St. Patrick’s Day. From 2015 to 2019, 280 people were killed on the holiday in drunk driving accidents.

Heavy drinking can lead to a number of short-term and long-term health consequences, especially with repeated use. These risks range from vomiting and alcohol poisoning to an increased risk in developing liver cancer.

These facts don’t mean you can’t partake in the celebration, but it’s important to keep in mind that it’s best to do everything in moderation. Moderate alcohol consumption — defined as one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men — has proven to have some mild health benefits, including decreasing the risk of diabetes and helping prevent colds.

If you decide to go out on St. Patrick’s Day, make sure to take steps to look out for the safety of yourself and others. Plan on having a designated driver, consume slowly and don’t drink on an empty stomach.

Keep in mind the holiday’s true meaning this St. Patrick’s Day. It’s a celebration of Ireland’s religious history, not just an excuse to drink.