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The British Medical Association states that "there is no consensus on the definition of binge drinking. In the past, 'binge drinking' was often used to refer to an extended period of time, usually two days or more, during which a person repeatedly drank to intoxication, giving up usual activities." The Journal of Studies on Alcohol defines binge drinking as an extended period, typically at least two days, during which time a person repeatedly becomes intoxicated and gives up usual activities and obligations in order to be intoxicated. Authors are required to restrict the use of the term to be consistent with that definition in papers it publishes. The International Center for Alcohol Policies says that diverse definitions of binge drinking exist. "Within the field of epidemiology, for example, there is disparity regarding the amount of alcohol that needs to be consumed in order to be drunk. One of the commonly used thresholds for 'binge' drinking is 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more for women per occasion. Over some objection, this definition has gained a foothold within the social sciences literature and has influenced media reporting of drinking behavior."

The US NIAAA National Advisory Council approved the following definition: A "binge" is a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 gram-percent or above. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming 5 or more drinks (male), or 4 or more drinks (female), in about 2 hours.

They note, however, that "in common usage, binge drinking is now usually used to refer to heavy drinking over an evening or similar time span - sometimes also referred to as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking is often associated with drinking with the intention of becoming intoxicated and, sometimes, with drinking in large groups." It is sometimes associated with physical or social harm.

Prevalence of binge drinking

Australia and New Zealand

A culture of binge drinking is prevalent among many communities, for example at high schools, universities, at parties, and in sporting clubs. In a minority of social circles, binge drinking may begin at as young as 13 and 14, and may be very widely practiced and accepted by some by age 16 or 17. The legal age for purchasing alcohol in Australia is 18. Current statistics show that 1 in 10 teenagers binge drink every week.

In March 2008, the Australian government earmarked AUD$ 53 million towards a campaign against binge drinking, citing two studies done in the past eight years which showed that binge drinking in Australia was at what Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called "epidemic".

Europe

In Europe, youngsters routinely experience alcohol early on in life. The drinking age in most countries is 18, and in many jurisdictions younger people can purchase certain types. Licencees may also choose to provide beverages such as diluted wine or beer mixed with lemonade (shandy or Lager Top) with a meal to encourage responsible consumption of alcohol. For example the legal age for drinking and buying beer in Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Belgium and The Netherlands is 16 years of age. It is generally perceived that binge drinking is most prevalent in the Vodka Belt and least common in the southern part of the continent, in Italy, France, and the Mediterranean. A notable exception is the Mediterranean island of Malta which has adopted the British culture of binge drinking, and where teenagers, often still in their early teens, are able to buy alcohol and drink it in the streets of the main club district, due to a lack of police enforcement of the legal drinking age of 16.

Spain

Since the mid 1990s the botellón has been growing in popularity among young people. This can be considered a case of binge drinking since most people that attend it consume three to five drinks in less than 5 hours

United Kingdom

In the UK, some areas of the media are spending a great deal of time reporting on what they see as a social ill that is becoming more prevalent as time passes. In 2003, the cost of binge drinking was estimated as £20 billion. In response, the government has introduced measures to deter disorderly behavior and sales of alcohol to people under 18, with special provisions in place during the holiday season. In January 2005, it was reported that one million admissions to UK accident and emergency units each year are alcohol-related; in many cities, Friday and Saturday nights are by far the busiest periods for ambulance services.

The culture of drinking in the UK is markedly different from that of some other European nations. In mainland Europe, alcohol tends to be consumed more slowly over the course of an evening, often accompanied by a restaurant meal. In the UK, by contrast, alcohol is generally consumed rapidly, leading much more readily to drunkenness. This "drinking urgency" may have been inspired by tradtitional pre-midnight pub closing hours in the UK, whereas bars in continental Europe would typically remain upon for the entire night. This is one of the reason for introducing the Licensing Act 2003 which came into effect in the UK in 2005, and which allows 24 hour licensing. Some observers, however, believe it will exacerbate the problem.

While being drunk (outside of a student context) in mainland Europe is widely viewed as being socially unacceptable, in the UK the reverse is true in many social circles. Particularly amongst young adults, there is often a certain degree of social pressure to get drunk during a night out. This culture is increasingly becoming viewed by politicians and the media as a serious problem that ought to be tackled, partly due to health reasons, but mostly due to its association with violence and anti-social behaviour. The impression is often given that drinking in this way automatically leads to such behaviour, which, in fairness, is not actually the case for most UK drinkers.

The UK binge drinking culture is also evidenced by the rather unique social phenomona of relatively large groups (8-15) of men (of very different ages) going, without their partners, on a holiday abroad (typically to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany or other traditional beer countries) with the main purpose of getting drunk together, often in broad daylight.

Binge drinking in the UK is commonly linked to football hooliganism.

The British TV channel Granada produces a program called Booze Britain, which documents the binge drinking culture by following groups of young adults.

A popular 'definition' of binge drinking in the UK is the consumption of 50% or more of the recommended maximum weekly number of units of alcohol in 'one session', e.g. one night out. Thus, for a male the consumption of 4 pints of 5% ABV beer/lager would constitute 'binge drinking' (11.36 units of alcohol out of a maximum weekly total of 21), and for a female the consumption of 3 large glasses of white wine (e.g. Sauvignon Blanc at 12% ABV) would again be classified as binge drinking (9 units out of 14).

New Zealand

Concerns over binge drinking by teenagers has led to a review of liquor advertising being announced by the New Zealand government in January 2006. The review will consider regulation of sport sponsorship by liquor companies, which at present is commonplace. Previously the drinking age in New Zealand was 20, then dropped to 18 a few years ago. Deemed to be a wise move at the time, due mainly to the argument that at 18 an individual can do all other adult activities. ie. Serve in war, vote, marry etc. At the time of the age-lowering, the Police were found to strictly enforce the on-license (bar, restaurant) code for underage-drinking. This led to a period of many of New Zealand's youth getting strangers to purchase high alcohol content beverages for them. eg. Cheap vodka or rum. A propensity to consume an entire bottle of spirits developed and led to an instant increase in the amount of youths under 18 being admitted to A&E hospitals. An example of this binge drinking mentality, often seen amongst university students, is the popularity of drinking games such as Edward Wineyhands and Scrumpy Hands. The New Zealand health service classifies Binge Drinking as anytime a person consumes 8 or more beverages in a sitting.

Clinical considerations

The bladder may rupture if overfilled and not emptied. This can occur in the case of binge drinkers who have consumed large quantities, but are not aware, due to stupor, of the need to urinate. This condition is very rare in women, but does occur. Symptoms include localized pain and uraemia (poisoning due to reabsorbed waste). The recovery rate is high, with most fatalities due to septic blood poisoning. A person is more likely to urinate while passed out before the bladder ruptures, as alcohol relaxes the muscles that normally enable one to hold their bladder.

Further reading

• MacLachlan, Malcolm and Smyth, Caroline (eds)Binge Drinking And Youth Culture Liffey Press (October 15, 2004) ISBN 1-90414-842-5
• Wechsler, Henry and Wuethrich, Bernice Dying to Drink: Confronting Binge Drinking on College Campuses Rodale Books (August 17, 2002) ISBN 1-57954-583-1

References

1. ^ Binge drinking
2. Schuckit, Marc A. The editor responds. The Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 1998, 123-124.
3. Trivializing Binge Drinking
4. Binge Drinking: Key Facts and Issues. International Center for Alcohol Policies. Last accessed November 20, 2006.
5. Rudd sets aside $53-million to tackle binge drinking, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, March 10 2008.
6. "Alcohol Alert Digest", Institute of Alcohol Studies, UK
7. BBC Binge drinking costing billions 19 September 2003
8. Kapka Kassabova The unbearable lightness of being English
9. "If you thought a hangover was bad ...: A new report says binge drinking has increased to such an extent that cases of 'exploding bladders' are on the rise in the UK." report of article in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) by Lucy Atkins in ] November 20, 2007

• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and alcoholism. Alcohol Tolerance (Alcohol Alert number 31 from NIAA). Washington, DC: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 1996.

External links

• Eliminating high-risk drinking: report
• Global Status Report on Alcohol 2004 by the WHO.
• Alcohol Concern Factsheet 20: Binge drinking
• Binge Drinking on College Campuses
• Choose Responsibility
• Alcohol time bomb set to explode Australia's binge-drinking culture

• Alcohol abuse
• Drinking culture