Binge Drinking: Dangers, Effects, and How to Get Help

Binge drinking is defined as drinking that increases blood alcohol concentration to 0.08%. Usually, this is when a male consumes 5 or more drinks within 2 hours and a female consumes 4 or more drinks within 2 hours. It is also when a male consumes 15 or more drinks in a week and a female consumes 8 or more drinks in a week.

Binge drinking leads to many dangers and health complications. At the NuView Treatment Center, we offer comprehensive treatment plans to overcome binge drinking and its related health effects. Our evidence-based treatment programs focus on addressing both physical and psychological aspects of binge drinking for lasting recovery and sobriety.

What is Binge Drinking?

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as having blood alcohol concentration levels up to 0.08%. To put things in perspective, this is well above the legal limit for driving. For blood alcohol concentration levels to reach this point, it usually means consuming 5 or more drinks within 2 hours for males and 4 or more drinks within 2 hours for females. To be more precise, a standard drink constitutes 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, and 1.5 ounces of liquor.

As per the “2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health,” nearly 61.4 million Americans aged 12 or older reported engaging in binge drinking. Instances of binge drinking are usually high among young adults as well as those under the age of 35 years. So, yes, binge drinking has increasingly become a health concern.

What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking has signs and symptoms that can vary among people, however, some common ones to be aware and wary of are as follows:

• Heavy drinking

• Frequent drinking and drinking more often than planned

• Drinking early in the day

• Prioritizing drinking over other activities in life

• Developing tolerance, meaning needing more drinks to feel satisfied or content

• Being defensive about drinking

• Experiencing withdrawal symptoms like tremors or vomiting when one has not had a drink for some time

• Blackout drinking, or drinking to the point wherein one has blackouts or losses in their memory

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Short-Term Effects of Binge Drinking

Binge drinking effects are vast and wide-ranging. Some are short-term and some others are long-term. Some of the short-term, yet dangerous, effects of binge drinking are as follows:

• Lowered mood

• Agitation

• Difficulty in concentration

• Slow reaction times

• Low breathing rates

• Low blood pressure

Long-Term Effects of Binge Drinking

The dangers of binge drinking are many, and this is explicitly seen in the long-term effects of binge drinking, which are as follows:

• Engaging in binge drinking leads to risky sexual activities, which increases the risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

• Leads to heart problems, like heart attacks or even strokes.

• Leads to cognitive impairments, like memory difficulties.

• Increases the risk of miscarriage among pregnant women.

• Fetal alcohol syndrome among babies who have been exposed to binge drinking while in the womb

• Alcohol poisoning, which can lead to seizures, coma, and even fatalities.

Binge Drinking vs. Alcoholism: What’s the Difference?

Binge drinking refers to consuming many drinks within a very short window. As mentioned before, this is generally 5 drinks or more among males within 2 hours and 4 drinks or more among females within 2 hours. 

However, alcoholism, also known as alcohol use disorder is a substance use disorder, which is characterized by a dependence on alcohol. What this means is that the person craves for drinks even in the face of adverse effects. Moreover, alcohol withdrawal is common among those suffering from alcohol use disorder, and in severe cases, it can lead to death as well.

Risks Associated with Binge Drinking

There are a lot of risks associated with binge drinking. In fact, those who engage in binge drinking are more prone to:

• Chronic binge drinking, which is repeated binge drinking over a long period of time

• Engaging in unsafe sex

• Contracting sexually transmitted diseases

• Driving under influence

• Violence, even killing someone

• Getting into legal entanglements with the police

• High blood pressure

• Heart attack

• Suicidal ideation and suicide

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How to Stop Binge Drinking?

The dangers of binge drinking need to be taken seriously and there need to be efforts made to stop binge drinking. Some ways to stop binge drinking are:

Keeping track of how much one drinks. This begins with knowing the alcohol content and standard drink sizes, leveraging technology like the MyDrinkaware app, and so on.

However, if binge drinking does become a problem, knowing its signs, symptoms, and dangers is the first step to seeking professional help. This involves interventions that are designed to identify triggers and cope with them in healthy ways so as to avoid binge drinking. With comprehensive approaches, healthy living practices like meditation and mindfulness are also incorporated.

Joining informal peer support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Moderation Management (MM) also provide ongoing care, which helps control binge drinking.

How Common Is Binge Drinking?

Binge drinking is unfortunately quite common. In 2023, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that nearly 61.4 million Americans engaged in binge drinking. This means 21.7% of Americans aged 12 or older engaged in binge drinking in the past year.

As per the same report, in specific age groups, the binge drinking rates are as follows:

• Reports of binge drinking emerged among 8^th graders itself, with 2% of them engaging in binge drinking. Among 10^th graders, it was 5.4%, and among 12^th graders, it was 10.2%. What is concerning here is that the percentage doubles among preteens and teens with increasing age.

• Among young adults between the ages of 18 years and 25 years, nearly 28.7% reported engaging in binge drinking.

• Among older adults, aged 65 and older, nearly 12% reported engaging in binge drinking.

Prevention For Binge Drinking

Certain steps, which may seem quite small, will help in preventing binge drinking episodes:

• Limit the number of drinks – 2 per day for men and 1 per day for women. This is controlled drinking.
• Have food along with drinks.
• Alternate alcohol with other drinks, like water.
• Only drink in controlled environments. For instance, drinking with trusted people helps prevent drinking from getting out of hand.

Start Your Personalized Treatment Plan

Our dedicated professional staff is here to design a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs, guiding you or your loved one on the journey to lasting recovery.

(323) 307-7997

Frequently Asked Questions

How many units is binge drinking?

For men, binge drinking is having 5 or more drinks in a row. For women, it is 4 or more drinks in a row.

How do you avoid binge drinking?

By limiting drinks, alternating alcohol with other non-alcoholic drinks, having food along with drinks, and drinking in safe and controlled environments are some ways of avoiding binge drinking.

Is it okay to binge drink once a week?

No, binge drinking once in a week or weekend binge drinking is not okay. In fact, episodes like this can lead to chronic binge drinking as well.

Can binge drinking be cured?

Binge drinking can be managed and also be treated with psychosocial interventions.