Binge
drinking is defined as "the consumption of five or more
drinks in a row on at least one occasion." In national
surveys (in the USA) about a third of high school seniors
and 45 percent of college students reported at least one occasion
of binge drinking within the previous 2 weeks.
March
26, 2004:
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse reports
that, “More than five million high schoolers binge drink
at least once a month.” As a Floridian who lives near
one of the 'Spring Break" hot spots, this comes as no great
shock. I guess there are a lot of parents out there who are
surprised by these numbers and yet, what were they doing in
college or when the drinking age was 18? How do you expect
your kid to just say no, when you said yes not that long ago?
Talk to your teenagers and be honest with them! ~ Amy.
RN ~
While
some national surveys have documented a significant decline
in the use of other drugs by high school seniors and college-age
youths, there have been only small declines in the numbers
reporting binge drinking. Teenagers and young adults drink
alcoholic beverages at about the same rates they did 5 years
ago. Binge drinking increases the risk for alcohol-related
injury, especially for young people, who often combine alcohol
with other high-risk activities, such as impaired driving.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the four leading injury-related causes of death among youths
under the age of 20 are motor vehicle crashes, homicides,
suicides, and drowning. Alcohol is involved in many of these
deaths.
Sexual
encounters with their risks of pregnancy,
STDs, and HIV exposure,
as well as date rape and other violence, can and do occur
more frequently while students are consuming large amounts
of alcohol by binge drinking.
Binge
drinking, or the partying lifestyle of young people may be
related to an environment that appears to support heavy drinking.
Teenagers report that alcohol is more easily available to
them today than it was 5 years ago, and there is a high correlation
between availability and use. In addition, alcoholic beverages
remain inexpensive in comparison with other beverages, especially
beer when purchased in kegs, often the center of a college
party, or even a teenage party.
A
factor that may add to the college setting as a high-risk
environment for binge drinking is that youths on college campuses
are targets of heavy marketing of alcoholic beverages. Beer
companies are especially active in promoting to college students.
Student newspapers and campus bulletin boards boast ads for
happy hours with price reductions and other incentives that
promote heavy drinking. Representatives of the alcohol industry,
including producers, wholesalers, and retailers, sponsor campus
social, sporting, and cultural events, even on campuses where
the majority of participants are under the age of 21. If
you are age 21 and over -- drink responsibly, but you already
know that.
Prevention
strategies in response to binge drinking by young people include
actions to reduce alcohol availability, such as increases
in price, and responsible beverage service practices, especially
at parties. Some communities require keg tagging, which requires
kegs to be labeled with a serial number identifying the purchaser
in case the keg is discovered at an underage drinking party.
Other strategies include restrictions on marketing and promotion
practices that glamorize heavy drinking, especially those
directed at young people.
If
you were told the party you are going to WILL have a keg (or
a couple of them) or that there will be a bartender there
& mixed drinks and you are under the legal drinking age,
you might want to consider going somewhere else that night.
Think about the risks before you go. If you are of age, please
designate a driver to drive that night. That person should
NOT drink at all. It just might save a life. Thanks!
“Dumb Reasons to Drink”
Check out: How
Do You Know if You Are an Alcoholic?
Alcoholism,
Getting Past the Addiction
Medical
Treatments for Alcoholism
Check out the Blood Alcohol
Calculator and see if you’re as sober when you think.
Hangover Help
