What is Binge Drinking? Definition, Facts, Statistics & Effects

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly 5% of youth under age 17 and 10% of adults over age 65 engaged in binge drinking in the past month. One in six US adults binge drink and at least 25% do so weekly. 25% of US adults who binge drink consume at least 8 drinks during a binge drinking episode. One of the most common alcohol-related problems that affect people of all ages is binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as drinking “a harmful amount of alcohol in one session of drinking.” What constitutes a harmful amount varies based on gender and the type and size of the drink. Repeated episodes can alter brain development causing deflects in social, attention, memory, and other cognitive functions. Having friends or a close partner who drinks regularly could increase your risk of alcohol use disorder.

Prevention plays a key role in reducing the number of adolescents who binge drink. The harmful side effects of alcohol can be discussed at home, in the classroom or with a medical professional. An open dialogue will make teens feel more comfortable to ask questions and express themselves.

Short and Long-term Effects of Binge Drinking

Another helpful tool to stop Binge Drinking is to enlist the support of family and friends to help you cut down on your alcohol use. Not only will your loved ones provide praise when you do well, but they may also help to provide a reality check when you choose alcohol over a non-alcoholic beverage.

• You might, for instance, feel an urge to drink even when you no longer want to, and have cravings when you try to avoid alcohol.
• Binge drinking is when someone drinks a large quantity of alcohol in a short amount of time.
• A child with FASD might experience heart or bone problems, reduced attention span and memory, or learning disabilities.
• In addition to that, people with an alcohol use disorder struggle to feel and function normally when they’re not drinking, which is why they tend to drink every day.
• Some binge drinkers only drink once a week; others even less frequently.

Additionally, research shows that long-term problematic drinking increases one’s risk for several cancers5, including those of the mouth, colon, and liver. A significant amount of binge drinking among adults escapes public health scrutiny because it occurs among individuals who drink at a moderate average level. This observational study examined the role of a binge pattern of drinking in predicting alcohol problems among moderate drinkers in a U.S. national sample of adults. On the surface, binge drinking and alcoholism appear very similar because they both involve excessive drinking and a lack of control. But the habits, methods, and underlying conditions that feed each pattern of drinking are quite different. Here are a few distinctions which behavioral health experts recognize between binge drinking and alcoholism. You may also hear alcoholism described as an alcohol use disorder, or AUD.

What Are the Consequences and Health Effects of Binge Drinking?

Is defined by the ingestion of at least five drinks or four during the same drinking episode. You’ll need to exhibit 2 out of the 11 criteria listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders within the same 12-month time period to receive an official AUD diagnosis.

Binge drinking causes significant health and safety risks. These definitions are varied between males and females. For men, binge drinking is having five or more drinks on one occasion, while for women this number is four drinks. Heavy drinking in men is considered 15 or more drinks per week, but this figure is only eight or more drinks per week for women.