Recently at a public event that took place in Kimberley, parents were informed on a social media platform to “go fetch your kids… it’s bad”.
Alcohol abuse was apparently rife, even amongst primary school learners.
A photo was even posted, showing a young girl passed out on the ground.
Underage drinking is a reality, and binge drinking even more so.
However, binge drinking is not only done by the youth; many adults partake in this habit.
Though you might not see yourself as an alcoholic, once in a while you could be taking part in binge drinking.
Can binge drinking, even when done sporadically, be harmful?
Unfortunately, the answer is yes.
Binge drinking can eventually lead to both long and short term problems.
The Freeman House Recovery rehabilitation institution gives more information on this.
“Scientific” definition of binge drinking”
Binge drinking refers to consuming large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time, usually in one session.
Research has shown that very few people go out at night with the idea of binge drinking. However, many nights that began with “just-a-few-drinks” end in binge drinking.
According to a more scientific definition, binge drinking is the consumption of large amounts of alcohol in a period of two hours or less, resulting in a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0,08%.
For men, “a large amount of alcohol” to result in a BAC of 0,08% or higher is typically when five or more alcoholic drinks have been consumed in less than two hours.
For women, it normally occurs after drinking four or more alcoholic drinks within two hours.
Effects of binge drinking
According to The Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education in South Africa, regular drinking, including binge drinking, can negatively impact your health in the following ways:
It is common for people to lose their balance and fall as a result of binge drinking, leading to possible injuries.
Your heart can stop because of too much alcohol in your system.
It can lead to nausea and vomiting, which can cause you to choke on your vomit and lead to your death.
Binge drinking usually affects your mood and your memory. This can eventually lead to serious mental health problems.
Generally, binge drinking leads to anti-social and aggressive behaviour. This could have detrimental effects on your relationships with your loved ones and friends.
Red flags
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), binge drinking can be deadly.
Between 2011 and 2015 roughly 95 000 deaths resulted from alcohol misuse in the United States alone and almost half of those were associated with binge drinking.
- If you are not sure whether you are actually binge drinking, evaluate this: You only drink on weekends, but then you drink so much that you often get to the point of nearly blacking out.) Although you set limits for how many drinks you will have, you never stick to the limits.) You are concerned about the amount you have been drinking.) When you have a drink, you always have more than one.) Friends and family tell you that they are concerned about your drinking habits.
Tips on preventing binge drinking
- )Keep track of how many drinks you are consuming, and stop when you have reached your pre-set limit.) Spread whatever amount of drinks you have decided on over a period of more than two hours.)Drink your alcoholic drinks slowly and alternate the drinks with water and food.) Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach.) Do not drink heavily on one or two nights – rather spread your drinks out evenly during the week.
If you think you or your child might have a binge drinking problem, or you are afraid that you might develop long term problems as a result of your binge drinking, the best is to seek professional help.
– My Pressportal
