Binge drinking refers to consuming a large amount of alcohol in a short period, resulting in a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher. This is typically defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks for males and four or more drinks for females within about two hours according to the (NIAA). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol, typically within a 2-hour period, which brings a person’s BAC to 0.08% or higher. A person’s BAC is the percentage of alcohol in their blood, and in the United States, a BAC of 0.08% means the person is legally intoxicated.
Risks of binge drinking
- Binge drinking is when an individual consumes a large amount of alcohol in a short period, typically resulting in a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 grams per deciliter or higher.
- The scatter plot compares the prevalence of alcohol use disorders in males versus that of females.
- Drug use disorders are often classified within the same category as mental health disorders — research and data on mental health can be found on our topic page here.
- Factors like affordability, advertising, and the presence of alcohol in social settings can influence the accessibility of alcohol.
- Binge drinking and moderate drinking are significantly different in terms of consumption patterns, health implications, and behavioral outcomes.
Frequent, uncontrolled alcohol abuse eventually leads to problem drinking. While any form of alcohol abuse is problematic, the term “problem how to drink moderately drinker” refers to someone who starts experiencing the impacts of their habit. This is especially true for teens who attend parties where drinking is the primary activity. You might think binge drinking is safe when you only do it occasionally, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The first stage of alcoholism is a general experimentation with alcohol.
What treatment is effective in combating binge drinking?
To date, the evidence suggests that alcohol does not appear to increase appetite through the action of peptide YY (PYY), ghrelin, gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), or cholecystokinin (CCK) 57–61. Calissendorf et al. 58 found that alcohol did not increase plasma levels of neuropeptide Y (NPY); however, animal models have shown that central NPY levels are increased following alcohol consumption 62. Compared to heavy drinking, moderate drinking encompasses four or fewer drinks on one occasion or eight or fewer occasions throughout the week. Fourteen grams of alcohol is the standardized amount of one drink rationed in 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine and 15 ounces of liquor. Aside from the personal effects binge drinking may have, it can also affect the country as a whole. In 2010, excessive alcohol consumption, including binge drinking, had a significant economic impact on the United States, amounting to $249 billion, equivalent to $2.05 per drink.
What should I do if I think that I might have an alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
Insufficient knowledge about the risks and consequences of excessive alcohol consumption can contribute to binge drinking. Another important confounding factor to be considered is physical activity level. Furthermore, beer and spirit drinkers appear to have poorer dietary habits in general than wine drinkers 3•. Thus, accounting for both sides of the energy balance equation (intake, expenditure and lifestyle habits) is crucial to evaluate adequately the association between alcohol intake and obesity.
National Institutes of Health
AUD is a condition in which people have an impaired ability to stop drinking alcohol or control their alcohol use. AUD is an addiction, and a person can still feel the need to drink alcohol even if they have adverse social and occupational consequences or health complications. This interactive map shows the annual average alcohol consumption of alcohol, expressed per person aged 15 years or older. To account for the differences in alcohol content of different alcoholic drinks (e.g., beer, wine, spirits), this is reported in liters of pure alcohol per year.
- The map shows DALYs per 100,000 people, which result from alcohol use disorders.
- Overall, obesity is a multi-factorial condition and it is difficult to truly assess the independent influence of alcohol intake on obesity risk.
- In the chart, we see the average consumption (in liters of ethanol) of different beverage types per person in the USA since the mid-nineteenth century.
- The amount of liquid in one’s glass, can, or bottle does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is in the drink.
- Excessive alcohol use is a term used to describe four ways that people drink alcohol that can negatively impact health.
- Foster relationships that encourage moderation and respect individual choices regarding alcohol consumption.
- Alcohol use disorder (AUD) refers to the drinking of alcohol that causes mental and physical health problems.
Effects of long-term alcohol use
Both binge drinking and AUD are two patterns of alcohol use that are causes for concern. While binge drinking refers to more sporadic heavy alcohol usage, AUD is a dependence that can disrupt people’s lives. AUD involves alcohol cravings that may make it difficult to stop drinking. In the United States, 10.6% of people ages 12 and over had AUD in the past year. Experts typically define binge drinking by the number of standard drinks you consume in a single period of 2 hours or less. Your age and the sex you were assigned at birth determine your threshold.
Symptoms
Doctors can recommend the most appropriate treatment for overcoming AUD and other alcohol-related concerns. AUD can have serious complications in the body’s regular functioning and can cause severe damage to the organs. Doctors typically prescribe medication in combination with counseling to address the psychological elements of addiction. If you’re having thoughts of hurting yourself or ending your life, know that you’re not alone.
Recommended Drinking Levels
If you or a loved one is dealing with substance abuse, call our helpline today and discover the right treatment options for you. They can give you tips on staying sober and provide you with a community of people who are also trying to quit drinking. Naturally, you may wonder how much alcohol you have to drink to get to that point. The answer depends on your sex, age, body mass, metabolism, the type of alcohol, and more.
