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Binge drinking

Binge drinking is drinking certain beverages with the intention of becoming intoxicated.

For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 1-3 hours. However, these numbers vary significantly based on weight and numerous other variables.

They note, however, that "in common usage, binge drinking is now usually used to refer to heavy drinking over an evening or similar time span - sometimes also referred to as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking is often associated with drinking with the intention of becoming intoxicated and, sometimes, with drinking in large groups." It is sometimes associated with physical or social harm.

Prevalence of binge drinking

Australia

A culture of binge drinking is prevalent among many communities. In a minority of social circles, binge drinking may begin at as young as 12-16, and may be very widely practiced and accepted by some by age 12-16.

In March 2008, the Australian government earmarked AUD$ 53 million towards a campaign against binge drinking, citing two studies done in the past eight years which showed that binge drinking in Australia was at what Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called "epidemic". On June 15th, the Australian Medical Association released new guidelines defining binge drinking as four standard drinks a night.

The last survey of drinking habits by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found there was an increase in drinking outside the home. In 1999, 34 percent of spending on alcoholic drinks took place on premise. By 2004 this figure had risen to 38 percent. This figure is expected to fall in 2008 in Australia because of stricter licensing laws, smoking bans in pubs and the extra premium people have to pay for buying alcohol in a bar.

Europe

In Europe, youngsters routinely experience alcohol early on in life. The drinking age in most countries is 18, and in many jurisdictions younger people can purchase certain types. Licensees may also choose to provide beverages such as diluted wine or beer mixed with lemonade ([shandy] or Lager Top) with a meal to encourage responsible consumption of alcohol. For example the legal age for drinking and buying beer in Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg is 16 years of age. It is generally perceived that binge drinking is most prevalent in the Vodka Belt and least common in the southern part of the continent, in Italy, France, and the Mediterranean.

Malta

A notable exception to the lower rates of binge drinking in Southern Europe is the Mediterranean island of Malta, which has adopted the British culture of binge drinking, and where teenagers, often still in their early teens, are able to buy alcohol and drink it in the streets of the main club district, Paceville, due to a lack of police enforcement of the legal drinking age of 16. In fact, statistics show that alcohol consumption in Malta exceeds that in the UK, and report that Malta ranks 5th in the world in common binge drinking.

Spain

Since the mid 1990s the botellón has been growing in popularity among young people. This can be considered a case of binge drinking since most people that attend it consume three to five drinks in less than five hours.

United Kingdom

In the UK, 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. 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. In January 2005, it was reported that one million admissions to UK accident and emergency units each year are alcohol-related; in many cities, Friday and Saturday nights are by far the busiest periods for ambulance services.

The culture of drinking in the UK is markedly different from that of some other European nations. In mainland Europe, alcohol tends to be consumed more slowly over the course of an evening, often accompanied by a restaurant meal. In the UK, by contrast, alcohol is generally consumed rapidly, leading much more readily to drunkenness. This "drinking urgency" may have been inspired by traditional pre-midnight pub closing hours in the UK, whereas bars in continental Europe would typically remain open for the entire night. This is one of the reason for introducing the Licensing Act 2003 which came into effect in the UK in 2005, and which allows 24 hour licensing. Some observers, however, believe it will exacerbate the problem.

While being drunk (outside of a student context) in mainland Europe is widely viewed as being socially unacceptable, in the UK the reverse is true in many social circles. Particularly amongst young adults, there is often a certain degree of social pressure to get drunk during a night out. This culture is increasingly becoming viewed by politicians and the media as a serious problem that ought to be tackled, partly due to health reasons, but mostly due to its association with violence and anti-social behavior.

The UK binge drinking culture is also evidenced by the rather unique social phenomena of relatively large groups (8–15) of men (of vary different ages) going, without their partners, on a holiday abroad (typically to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany or other traditional beer countries) with the main purpose of getting drunk together, often in broad daylight.

The British TV channel Granada produces a program called Booze Britain, which documents the binge drinking culture by following groups of young adults.

A popular 'definition' of binge drinking in the UK is the consumption of 50% or more of the recommended maximum weekly number of units of alcohol in 'one session', e.g. one night out. Thus, for a male the consumption of 4 pints of 5% ABV beer/lager would constitute 'binge drinking' (11.36 units of alcohol out of a maximum weekly total of 21), and for a female the consumption of 3 large glasses of white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc at 12% ABV) would again be classified as binge drinking (9 units out of 14).

United States

Despite having a legal drinking age of 21, binge drinking in the United States remains very prevalent among college students. The population of people who binge drink mainly comprises young adults aged 13–29, although it is not unheard of among older adults. A main concern of binge drinking on college campuses is how the negative consequences of binge drinking affect the students. A study done by the Harvard School of Public Health reported that students who engage in binge drinking experience numerous problems such as: missing class, engaging in unplanned or unsafe sexual activity, being victims of sexual assault, unintentional injuries, and physical ailments.

Programs in the United States have thought of numerous ways to help prevent binge drinking. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests increasing the cost of alcohol or the excise taxes, restricting the number of stores who may obtain a license to sell liquor, and implementing strict law enforcement of underage drinking. There are also a number of individual counseling approaches, such as motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral approaches, that have been shown to reduce drinking among heavy drinking college students..

In fact, is has been shown that binge drinking is a cheap form of entertainment for college students. For those under 21 years of age, it is usually free as they cannot purchase alcohol. If one compares the price of a movie which is 9 dollars and the price of a twelve pack, they are the same. However, a typical movie lasts only 2 hours, whereas a night of binge drinking lasts 6-10 hours.

New Zealand

Concerns over binge drinking by teenagers has led to a review of liquor advertising being announced by the New Zealand government in January 2006. The review will consider regulation of sport sponsorship by liquor companies, which at present is commonplace. Previously the drinking age in New Zealand was 20, then dropped to 18 in 1999. In direct conjunction with the age-lowering, the Police were found to strictly enforce the on-license (bar, restaurant) code for underage-drinking, less so for the off-licences (liquor stores, supermarkets). As a result, young people ages 15-17 ironically found it significantly harder to get into (or be served at) bars and restaurants than it was before with a poorly enforced (though higher) drinking age of 20. This led to a period of many of New Zealand's youth getting strangers to purchase high alcohol content beverages for them (e.g. cheap vodka or rum) at liquor stores.[citation needed] A propensity to consume an entire bottle of spirits developed and led to an instant increase in the amount of youths under 18 being admitted to A&E hospitals. 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. The New Zealand health service classifies Binge Drinking as anytime a person consumes 8 or more beverages in a sitting.

Clinical considerations

The bladder may rupture if overfilled and not emptied. This can occur in the case of binge drinkers who have consumed large quantities, but are not aware, due to stupor, of the need to urinate. This condition is very rare in women, but does occur. Symptoms include localized pain and uraemia (poisoning due to reabsorbed waste). The recovery rate is high, with most fatalities due to septic blood poisoning. A person is more likely to urinate while passed out before the bladder ruptures, as alcohol relaxes the muscles that normally enable one to hold their bladder.

References

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and alcoholism. Alcohol Tolerance (Alcohol Alert number 31 from NIAA). Washington, DC: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1996.