Binge Drinking Is a Dangerous Deadly Game
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent or greater. This typically occurs when men consume 5 or more drinks and when women consume 4 or more drinks in a two-hour period. While binge drinkers may not drink alcohol every day, when they do engage in drinking, they consume more than is safe in a limited amount of time. Studies show binge drinkers typically binge on alcohol twice per week.
A Real Problem Across the Board…
Binge drinking is a problem among both underage and adult drinkers. 75 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States is in the form of binge drinking. In the United States, 92 percent of adults who drink excessively report binge drinking in the last 30 days. 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involve adults aged 26 or older. Underage drinkers are most likely to binge drink. 90 percent of all alcohol consumed by youths under the age of 21 is in the form of binge drinking.
Binge Drinking Health Risks
Binge drinking increases the risk for health problems. Alcohol is a factor in unintentional injuries, such as car crashes, falls, burns and drowning, as well as intentional injuries, like sexual assault and domestic violence. Binge drinking can also lead to alcohol poisoning, sexually transmitted diseases, unintended pregnancy and children born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Binge drinking increases the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular diseases and liver disease.
Problems Among College Students
Binge drinking leads to many problems. On college campuses, 60 percent of all problems that involve the police, such as injuries and vandalism, are associated with binge drinking.
College students who binge drink are more likely to suffer from academic problems. Alcohol is a factor in 28 percent of all college dropouts. Half of all binge drinkers miss at least one class per quarter or semester due to drinking. More than one-third of binge drinkers report falling behind in their schoolwork due to drinking. Alcohol is a factor in 40 percent of all academic problems. Students who earn D’s and F’s typically drink three times as much alcohol as students who earn A’s and B’s.
Each year, college students spend more than $5.5 billion on alcohol, primarily beer. This is more than students spend on books, coffee, soda, juice and milk combined. On a typical college campus, college students spend an average of $466 per year on alcohol.
Economic Impact
The economic cost of alcohol abuse is more than $148 billion each year. This includes medical costs, lost productivity, crime, and losses resulting from premature death.
Binge drinking is highest in Wisconsin (25.6 percent). It is also high in Nebraska (22.3 percent), D.C. (21.9 percent), North Dakota (21.9 percent) and Iowa (21.5 percent). Binge drinking is lowest in Utah (10.9 percent).
Get Help for Alcohol Abuse
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[...] Binge Drinking is defined as men consuming 5 or more drinks or women consuming 4 or more drinks in a two-hour period. Although most binge drinkers do not drink everyday, the activity can still become dangerous for the drinkers and the people around them. The majority of binge drinkers are under the age of 21, with college student being the largest group. Binge drinkers are more likely to engage in dangerous behaviors while drinking, such as vandalism and fighting, and these actions often involve the police. Binge drinking can also be a very expensive habit; college students spend $5.5 billion on alcohol each year, and the medical costs associated with binge drinking are even higher. For more binge drinking statistics and facts, check out the infographic. [...]