Binge Drinking Facts

Binge Drinking

What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is also known as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking usually serves the sole purpose of becoming increasingly intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Binge drinking rapidly brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. The definition of binge drinking for women is when they consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours and for men it is 5 drinks in about 2 hours. People who engage in binge drinking are not usually alcohol dependent but it can quickly turn into alcohol dependence if it is done on a regular basis.

Here are some binge drinking facts according to different national surveys:

  • Around 92% of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the last 30 days.
  • It may seem like binge drinking would be more common in college students and while it is true they commonly binge drink, 70% of binge drinking episodes actually involved adults age 26 years or older.
  • Binge drinking is also more common in men with it being twice more prevalent in them than in women.
  • Binge drinking is fairly common among all people. One in six U.S. adults binge drink about four times a month. Not just that but they also drink eight drinks per binge.
  • Over half of all the alcohol being consumed by adults in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.
  • Binge drinking is more common in households that have incomes of 75,000 dollars or more a year.
  • Nearly all, 90% of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinks.

One of the biggest facts about binge drinking is that it can severely and negatively affect those who engage in it. Binge drinking comes hand in hand with many health problems such as:

  • Binge drinking because of the level of intoxication in individuals can cause unintentional injuries. These unintentional injuries include car crashes, falls, burns, drowning.
  • Binge drinking can also cause intentional injuries such as firearm injuries, sexual assault, and domestic violence.
  • Binge drinking can quickly and easily lead to alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning can be fatal.
  • Binge drinking can also lead to a lack of inhibition and risk taking behavior which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancy.
  • Binge drinking for those who are already pregnant can cause fetal alcohol syndrome in the unborn child.
  • Binge drinking can also cause high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
  • Binge drinking just as any drinking, can cause liver disease, neurological damage, sexual dysfunction and poor control for those who have diabetes.

Believe it or not but the negative effects of binge drinking don’t just affect the people who are drinking. Binge drinking costs everyone money.

  • Binge drinking and drinking too much, costs the United States a whopping 223.5 billion in 2006.
    That is $1.90 a drink from losses in productivity, health care, crime and other expenses.
  • Binge drinking also cost federal, state, and local governments about 62 cents per drink in 2006 while the federal and state income from taxes on alcohol only totaled 12 cents per drink.

Binge drinking is very harmful not only to the individual and those who know the individual but it is harmful to the community. The bad things we hear about that happen when someone is drinking are usually due to some form of binge drinking. Not only that but the facts about binge drinking can easily lead to a larger and more serious alcohol dependency which will require outside help to overcome.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm 

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.

Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is a scary way to drink. Binge drinking is very dangerous to a person’s health and can cause serious damage quickly to a person’s body.

What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is the modern epithet for drinking alcoholic beverages with the primary intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time.

Two large glasses of wine may not seem like very much. But drinking six units of alcohol in a short space of time – an hour, say – will raise your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and could make you drunk very quickly. Drinking the same amount over several hours and accompanied by food for example will not have the same effect on your BAC.

Some studies show that drinking a large amount of alcohol over a short period of time may be significantly worse for your health than frequently drinking small quantities.

Getting very drunk can affect your physical and mental health:

  • Accidents and falls are common because being drunk affects your balance and co-ordination. You’re also more likely to suffer head, hand and facial injuries. Binge drinking has also been linked to self-harm .
  • In extreme cases, you could die. Overdosing on alcohol can stop you breathing or stop your heart, or you could choke on your vomit.
  • Nearly a third (29%) of alcohol related deaths are a result of alcohol related accidents. These deaths are more common among 16–34-year-olds.
  • Binge drinking can affect your mood and your memory and in the longer term can lead to serious mental health problems.

More commonly, binge drinking can lead to anti-social, aggressive and violent behavior.

Am I a binge drinker?

Even if you don’t drink alcohol every day, you could be a binge drinker if you regularly drink:

  • If you drink specifically to get drunk
  • more than the daily amount in a single session
  • If you drink quickly.

If you find it hard to stop drinking once you have started, you could also have a problem with binge drinking and possibly alcohol dependence.

Signs you may need help with your binge drinking

Binge drinking is very much related to alcoholism, but the presence of binge drinking doesn’t necessarily mean that a person has a severe alcohol addiction. The binge drinker may simply have unsafe drinking habits.

However, as alcoholism is a serious disease and alcohol abuse can damage the body even in a single binge drinking session, it’s best to recognize the signs of dependency.

  • A person who is alcohol dependent may experience “shakes,” chills, and other physical symptoms.
  • Alcoholics will also allow their habit to begin interfering with their families, careers, and other aspects of their day-to-day lives.
  • Binge drinking will become regular, and binges may be extreme.
  • Many alcoholics begin to develop a tolerance. This causes them to engage in more and more serious binge drinking sessions with greater consequences to their bodies and lives.

All binge drinking is best avoided, but binge drinking can become alcoholism when it occurs on any sort of a regular basis. It’s also important to note that there’s no “right” age to binge drink. While binging may be more common among certain social groups, for instance younger males, it’s dangerous and can lead to addiction at any age, so it’s important to seek treatment.

 

 

If you need help with your addiction give us a call now at 1-800-984-4003.