Binge Drinking Dangers and Risks

College-aged men and women use alcohol in roughly equal numbers. However, binge drinking, particularly extreme binge drinking, continues to be far more common among young men.

Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings the blood alcohol level to 0.08 grams or above. For males, that means consuming five or more drinks within two hours. For females, it’s four or more drinks in that amount of time. Extreme binge drinking is about twice that amount.

One of the biggest risks of binge drinking is alcohol poisoning. The body absorbs ethanol, the active ingredient in alcoholic drinks, faster than proteins, carbohydrates, or fats—it takes the body about an hour to process alcohol through the liver, notes the Mayo Clinic. This means that consuming four or five drinks in an hour gives the body more ethanol than it can handle, slowing nervous system function.

Binge drinking can affect muscle coordination, thought processes, heart rate, and breathing. This type of drinking can also catalyze the following mental and physical health risks:

• Cognitive impairments, such as problems with memory and learning
• Accidental injuries, including falls and drowning
• Drunk driving, leading to motor vehicle accidents
• Unprotected sex/sexually transmitted diseases
• Physical fighting
• Suicidal behavior

Know the Facts

Each year, more than 22,000 US college students, ages 18–24, are hospitalized for an alcohol overdose. Binge drinking and alcoholism symptoms can manifest in both physical and mental health issues, including:

• Performing poorly in school or at work
• Neglecting favorite activities or hobbies
• Drinking in dangerous situations, such as when driving
• Weight changes
• Hanging out with a new group of friends and abandoning old friendships
• Becoming angry or violent when drinking
• Being unable to stop drinking even though it’s causing problems with relationships and daily life
• Lethargy and fatigue
• Sudden mood swings or personality changes
• Periods of depression
• Blacking out after a night of drinking
• Experiencing higher tolerance of alcohol and withdrawal symptoms when not drinking
• Inability to limit alcohol consumption

Because young people may binge drink only on weekends or at parties, they may not realize that their drinking is becoming a problem. It is possible to develop alcohol dependence even when you don’t drink on a daily basis.

For more information on helping teens and young adults, visit http://www.newportacademy.com/