A Quick Look at Binge Drinking

Binge Drinking: Escaping Reality, Disrupting the Brain and Society

Teenagers and young adults often seek methods with which to escape what they perceive to be the grim realities around them. It is normal for people of those ages to experience some dark feelings as they make the transition between childhood and adulthood.

How they handle the transition differs drastically depending on individual personalities and family experiences. Some are naturally resilient and glide through changes. Some seek contentment through counseling. Some turn to sex and some turn to drugs. But many are turning to one of the biggest recent trends—binge drinking. Statistically, binge drinking is a type of social activity that males are more prone to be drawn into than females.

Binge Drinking for Fun

Binge drinking is not always due to emotional transitions. Many teenagers and young college students binge drink just for the thrill and fun. Some older people partake in binge drinking but it is more common among younger generations. Those who try binge drinking, however, are more likely to become full time alcoholics. Whether any individual succumbs to alcoholism or not, both binge drinking and alcoholism are capable of causing many health issues, although the issues caused are different depending on which of the types of drinking in which one partakes.

Before exploring the health risks involved, binge drinking should be more clearly defined. Just how much alcohol consumption over what period of time qualifies as binge drinking?

It cannot be specifically defined by the number of alcoholic beverages consumed but is measured rather by Blood Alcohol Concentration. If the subject consumes enough to raise their Blood Alcohol Concentration to 0.8 grams per deciliter of blood within a two hour time period, it qualifies as binge drinking.

So how can the average person know how many drinks will bring them to this heightened level? It is widely accepted that five drinks within two hours is the standard for men to achieve binge drinking, while for women it only takes four alcoholic beverages. Remember, those are only a standard based on the average sizes of most men and women and therefore do not apply to all people.

It is a common misconception that long term alcoholism is worse for one’s health than occasional binge drinking. Alcoholism is less likely to cause brain damage.

Why is binge drinking worse? 

 Someone who binge drinks constantly goes through withdrawals quickly after each session. This is more than just a hangover. The repetition of withdrawals can cause neurological issues, whereas a long term alcoholic keeps feeding the alcoholism and does not experience repetitive withdrawals. Binge drinking draws the human brain into different directions too quickly.

As with any alcohol use, binge drinking can affect the heart and immune system in negative ways. But for every health issue that can be caused by binge drinking, there is also a possible social issue. Binge drinking is criticized more often for the societal problems it causes than for inevitable health risks. Why would societal issues be more important than the health of those who binge drink?

The societal problems that have been traced to binge drinking affect innocent people who have not even chosen to partake in the consumption of alcohol. Random street violence, automobile accidents, and many other incidents that are the results of binge drinking infringe upon the safety of innocent victims.

As with any trend, there will be conflict among opinion and those who choose to partake despite the consequences. Teenagers and young adults can be especially hard to deflect from such activities because many of them are under the impression that they are invincible. The best advice to offer binge drinkers is to stay off the road while partaking in their consumption, because driving accidents are one of the main causes of death among those who participate in the trend.