Binge drinking is just like anything else you can binge on, like food or Netflix, and as you might suspect, it\u2019s not the healthiest choice. Why is binge drinking dangerous? There are short-term and long-term effects on the body in addition to the possibility of developing an alcohol abuse disorder<\/a>. Let\u2019s see what the numbers say and talk about how you can stop binge drinking once and for all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excessive alcohol use<\/a> can be dangerous, but how do you know when it\u2019s excessive? One type of drinking we hear about often is binge drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking<\/a> as a pattern of drinking that brings a person\u2019s blood alcohol concentration above 0.08 grams per decilitre. This generally happens when men consume five or more drinks and when women consume four or more drinks within a two-hour period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term \u201cbinge\u201d was originally adopted to describe a pattern of problematic drinking characterized by heavy use followed by a period of abstinence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the most recent data<\/a>, 25.8% of American adults binge drink within a given month<\/strong>. In a survey conducted by The Recovery Village<\/a>, 32% of those who had tried to quit drinking or were considering it reported binge drinking five or more days per week. Binge drinking over the course of a month is slightly more common among men (29.7%) than women (22.2%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lowest rates of binge drinking<\/a> are seen among adults aged 65 and older, and the highest prevalence is seen in the age ranges of 18-24 and 25-34. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2019<\/a>, 8.3% of adult men and 4.5% of adult women indicated that they had engaged in heavy drinking in the previous month, which is a potentially dangerous pattern of drinking defined as consuming more than four drinks in one day or more than 14 in a week for a man, and more than three drinks in one day and more than seven in one week for a woman. Heavy drinking can also involve binge drinking five or more times in a given month.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of adults who drink excessively report they have engaged in binge drinking in the previous 30 days, and most people under the age of 21 who abuse alcohol consume it in the form of binges. In fact, underage drinkers consume about 90% of their alcohol in binges<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association<\/a> revealed that young men who binge drink are more likely than other young adults to have cardiovascular risk factors<\/a>, such as high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The study reviewed the habits and health of more than 4,700 U.S. adults ages 18\u201345 between 2011 and 2014. Researchers concluded that more than twice as many men as women (25.1% vs. 11.8%) binge drank alcohol more than a dozen times per year. Our survey found<\/a> that men were 64% more likely to report binge drinking every day, 81% more likely to binge 5-6 days per week and 33% more likely to report binging 3-4 days per week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among those who reported binge drinking, frequent binge drinkers had a total cholesterol level up to 10.1 mg\/dL higher than non-binge drinkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, men who binge drank over 12 times annually had a 121.8 mm Hg average systolic blood pressure compared with 119 and 117.5 for less frequent and non-binge drinkers, respectively.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not the first study to address the health effects of binge drinking. Another study released in the summer of 2018 indicated that the national rates of fatal liver disease have risen dramatically<\/a>. The number of fatalities tied to alcohol-related liver disease<\/a> among people ages 25 to 34 tripled between 1999 to 2016. This coincides with rising rates of binge drinking across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People binge drink for a number of reasons. For some, it\u2019s a coping mechanism to alleviate emotional problems or stress. For others, it\u2019s a way to have fun or fit in. The following are some of the most popular reasons for binge drinking, according to medical experts<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teenagers and even adults may also binge drink to fit in with peers who are engaging in the same behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Binge drinking isn\u2019t just dangerous in the long term, it also has short-term effects. Excessive drinking, including binge drinking, costs the U.S. about $249 billion<\/a> per year. These costs are a result of motor vehicle accidents, criminal offenses, healthcare costs and lost productivity in workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The effects of binge drinking are serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Binge drinking on a regular basis can be a characteristic of an alcohol use disorder<\/a>. There are mild, moderate and severe cases of this disease. Besides binge drinking, alcohol use disorder can be characterized by drinking more or longer than you intended, getting sick from drinking, getting into situations while drinking where you get hurt or your chances of getting hurt increase, experiencing cravings, or giving up activities or jobs because of drinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat Is Binge Drinking and Who Is Doing It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Binge Drinking is a Pervasive Issue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Study Reveals the Effects of Binge Drinking Differ By Gender<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Reasons for Binge Drinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Short and Long-term Effects of Binge Drinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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