Author: Charles Frank

Drinking Levels Defined National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism NIAAA

Drinking too much can be the result of social pressures, and sometimes it helps to know there are others who have gone through the same thing. Add binge drinker to one of your lists below, or create a new one. If you think you or a friend have a binge-drinking problem, get help as soon as possible.

1. A supportive friend or adult could help you to avoid pressure situations, stop drinking, or find counseling.
2. Liquor stores, bars, and alcoholic beverage companies make drinking seem attractive and fun.
3. The largest proportion of males and females who binge drink fall within the 18 – 29 age group.
4. That works out to about five alcoholic drinks for men or four for women in less than 2 hours.
5. When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body’s involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex.

The survey results showed that the frequency of binge drinking was 15.6% in males, 11.9% higher than that for females (3.7%). The largest proportion of males and females who binge drink fall within the 18 – 29 age group. Most American adults drink alcohol at least occasionally, but about 1 in 4 knock back several drinks in a short period of time at least once a year.

Drugs & Supplements

Inevitably, one of the biggest areas of peer pressure is drinking. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), about 61 million, or 21.7%, of people in the United States ages 12 and older reported binge drinking during the past month.3,4 Although binge drinking is a concern among all age groups, there are important trends in the following groups. As a reaction to the binge drinking epidemic in Britain, several charities have been created to raise awareness of the dangers of binge drinking and promote responsible drinking. Nine out of 10 binge drinkers aren’t dependent on alcohol, but doctors and scientists think they’re more likely to develop alcohol use disorder. Adults under 35 are more likely to do this than other age groups, and men are twice as likely as women.

People who make more than $75,000 a year and are more educated are most likely to binge drink. The annual “Monitoring the Future” survey found that, in 2007, 10% of 8th graders, 22% of 10th graders, and 26% of 12th graders report having had five or more drinks at least once in the past two weeks.[33] The same survey also found that alcohol was considered somewhat easier to obtain than cigarettes for 8th and 10th graders, even though the minimum age to purchase alcohol is 21 in all 50 states, while for cigarettes it is 18. Studies show that people who binge-drink throughout high school are more likely to be overweight and have high blood pressure by the time they are 24. Just one regular beer contains about 150 calories, which adds up to a lot of calories if someone drinks 4–5 beers a night.

For example, people who have impaired judgment may have unprotected sex, putting them at greater risk of a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or unplanned pregnancy. Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use can increase an individual’s risk of alcohol use disorder. In 2007, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (APBS) spearheaded Get Your Sexy Back (GYSB), Singapore’s first youth-for-youth initiative to promote responsible and moderate drinking among young adults. The program seeks to widen awareness and educate individuals about responsible drinking behavior by raising the social currency of moderation. The program engages youths in events and activities that are close to their lifestyles, focusing on four major platforms – Music, Fashion, Sports and Friends to spread the message of responsible drinking. Heavy drinking is believed to cost the U.S. economy more than $200 billion a year in lost productivity, health costs, and property damage.

Differences included the lack of a gender gap in Canada compared with America, as well some as age-related differences. Canadians exceeded Americans in reported heavy alcohol use until age 19 (especially among the 1% percentage of students under 18), at which point Americans overtook and then began to exceed Canadians, especially among 21- and 22-year-olds. After age 23, there was no longer much of a difference.[24] In Canada, the legal drinking age is 18 or 19, depending on the province.

Examples of binge drinking

Although drinking any amount of alcohol can carry certain risks (for information on impairments at lower levels, please see this chart), crossing the binge threshold increases the risk of acute harm, such as blackouts and overdoses. Binge drinking also increases the likelihood of unsafe sexual behavior and the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintentional pregnancy. Because of the impairments it produces, binge drinking also increases the likelihood of a host of potentially deadly consequences, including falls, burns, drownings, and car crashes. In the UK, parallels have been drawn between binge drinking and the Gin Craze of 18th century England.[11] Some areas of the media are spending a great deal of time reporting on what they see as a social ill that is becoming more prevalent as time passes. In 2003, the cost of binge drinking was estimated as £20 billion a year.[12] In response, the government has introduced measures to deter disorderly behavior and sales of alcohol to people under 18, with special provisions in place during the holiday season.

The best approach is to talk to an adult you trust — if you can’t approach your parents, talk to your doctor, school counselor, clergy member, aunt, or uncle. Drinking can affect someone’s personality — they might become angry or moody while drinking, for example. Although they think about the possibility of getting drunk, they may not give much consideration to being hungover or throwing up.

According to the National Health Survey 2020 conducted by the Health Promotion Board Singapore, binge drinking is defined as consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks over a short period of time. Data suggest that even one episode of binge drinking can compromise function of the immune system and lead to acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) in individuals with underlying pancreatic damage. Over time, alcohol misuse, including repeated episodes of binge drinking, contributes to liver and other chronic diseases as well as increases the risk of several types of cancer, including head and neck, esophageal, liver, breast, and colorectal cancers.

What Are the Consequences and Health Effects of Binge Drinking?

Drinking disrupts sleep patterns, which can make it harder to stay awake and concentrate during the day. This can lead to struggles with studying and poor academic performance. People who are drunk also take other risks they might not normally take when they’re sober.

People who are homozygous for the ALDH2 gene are less likely to binge-drink due to severe adverse effects that occur even with moderate amounts of alcohol consumption. An example of this binge drinking mentality, often seen amongst university students, is the popularity of drinking games such as Edward Wineyhands and Scrumpy Hands, similar to the American drinking game Edward Fortyhands. A recent study showed that 37% of undergraduates binged at least once in the past week.[44] The New Zealand health service classifies Binge Drinking as anytime a person consumes five or more standard drinks in a sitting. “Heavy alcohol use” was defined as usually having 5/4 drinks or more on the days that the person drinks in the past 30 days (American) or 2–3 months (Canadian). Among past year drinkers, 41% and 35% of American and Canadian students, respectively, reported participated in this behavior.

Examples of binge drinker

The British TV channel Granada produces a program called Booze Britain, which documents the binge drinking culture by following groups of young adults. Researchers blame this kind of heavy drinking for more than half of the roughly 88,000 alcohol-related deaths — from car crashes, alcohol poisoning, suicide, and violence — that happen every year. Add binge drinking to one of your lists below, or create a new one. If your alcohol use is causing trouble for you at work, at home, in social situations, or at school, it’s a problem. Binge drinkers have a harder time in school and they’re more likely to drop out.

Binge drinking impairs judgment, so drinkers are more likely to take risks they might not take when they’re sober. If they drive drunk, they might injure, or even kill, themselves or others. You also could confide in a trusted friend or older sibling who is easy to talk to.

About 1 in 6 American adults say they regularly binge drink, sometimes several times a month. You may know from experience that excessive drinking can lead to trouble concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life. But binge drinking carries more serious and longer-lasting risks as well. Alcohol poisoning is the most life-threatening consequence of binge drinking. When someone drinks too much and gets alcohol poisoning, it affects the body’s involuntary reflexes — including breathing and the gag reflex.

In January 2005, it was reported that one million admissions to UK emergency department units each year are alcohol-related; in many cities, Friday and Saturday nights are by far the busiest periods for ambulance services. The chances are especially high for people who drink heavily during their teen years. Teenage binge drinkers are about three times more likely to develop alcohol use disorder. Some studies have shown that people who binge-drink heavily — those who have 3 or more episodes of binge drinking in 2 weeks — have some of the symptoms of alcoholism.

Age and genetic factors influence the risk of developing alcohol-related neurotoxicity.[27] Adolescence, especially early adolescence (i.e. before age 15), is a critical and delicate developmental stage when specialised neuronal and synaptic systems mature. This critical developmental stage is where lifelong adult traits e.g., talents, reasoning and complex skills mature; however alcohol and in particular binge drinking may disrupt and interfere with this developmental process. According to the NIAAA definition of “heavy drinkers”, men may be at risk for alcohol-related problems if their alcohol consumption exceeds 14 standard drinks per week or four drinks per day, and women may be at risk if they have more than seven standard drinks per week or three drinks per day.