Alexandra Borovik

What is Binge Drinking? Binge drinking is defined as "the consumption of five or more drinks in a row on at least one occasion.  Few young people nowadays wait until they’re 18 to drink. By the time they reach 15, more than eight out of 10 have already tried alcohol.  Newspaper headlines about ‘drunk hoodies’ may suggest that most young people drink regularly. However, the number of teenagers who drink has actually declined in recent years, but those who do drink are consuming more alcohol, more often.

Statistics on Alcohol among Teens The statistics are staggering. The average age of first alcohol use is 12 and the average age of first drug use is 13. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 93 percent of all teenagers have some experience with alcohol by the end of their senior year of high school and 6 percent drink daily -More than 40% of teens who admitted drinking said they drink when they are upset; 31% said they drink alone; 25% said they drink when they are bored; and 25% said they drink to "get high." (U.S. Surgeon General, 1991) -Each year, students spend $5.5 billion on alcohol, more than they spend on soft drinks, tea, milk, juice, coffee or books combined. On a typical campus, per capita students spending for alcohol--$446 per student--far exceeds the per capita budget of the college library. (Eigen, 1991 in the 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse). -Nearly one-third of college students surveyed said they wished alcohol was not available at campus events, and nearly 90% wished that other drugs would disappear from campuses. (Core Institute, 1993) -Sixty percent of college women diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease were drunk at the time of infection. (Advocacy Institute, 1992) 

The short term health risks of alcohol include:  Anxiety  Sexual difficulties such as impotence  Impaired judgement leading to accidents and injuries  Slowed breathing and heartbeat  Loss of consciousness  Suffocation through choking on your own vomit (aspiration)  Potentially fatal poisoning

Accidents  If you drink, you’ll know that minor accidents happen all the time. Alcohol upsets our sense of balance and co-ordination. So on a night out, maybe you find yourself bumping into things more often, or tripping up your front steps on your way home. But alcohol is also the cause of more serious accidents too.  Traffic accidents  Although drink driving figures have been falling steadily for decades, traffic accidents are still a leading cause of alcohol related deaths among young men aged 16-24drink driving  Domestic accidents  It may be your refuge from the world, but accidents in the home are extremely common. And alcohol is the biggest single cause of accidents in the home.(  Fires  There is also a strong link between drinking alcohol and being injured in a fire. Around one in three fires are caused by people under the influence of alcohol.  Workplace accidents  Drinking and the workplace are rarely a good mix. And when it comes to safety, it’s an especially bad idea to mix the two. Alcohol is a factor in up to one in four workplace accidents

 Five ways to stop alcohol ruining your LIFE 1 Go alcohol-free The best nights out, or evenings in, don’t have to include booze. You can bond over a romantic movie or sip delicious alcohol-free cocktails at the bar. Stay within Drinkaware's recommended daily unit guidelines If you do decide to drink alcohol try and stay within the Drinkaware's guidelines, which advise that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 units a day (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer) and women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units a day (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13%wine). 2 Snack smarter Food slows down the rate your body absorbs alcohol. So if you do choose to drink, eat regularly before and during drinking to help you stay sober

3 Talk it out sober If something is worrying you, don’t wait until you’ve had too much to drink to talk about it. Instead, try and discuss any problems with your partner over a coffee. 4 Choose the soft option Alternate soft drinks with alcohol to help stay in control of what you’re drinking. 5 The alcohol talking If your partner is drunk they could say things that they don’t mean. If they’re gunning for an argument try not to take the bait – they're likely to be all apologies in the morning.

Solutions  The government could do a lot to solve these problems. It should provide more facilities for teenagers so they will have a wide range of alternatives instead of drinking.  Another good solution to this problem is booklets and movies that help children to understand the harmful consequences of abusing alcohol. Teenagers should know all possible health problems in the future. If there are posters warning about dangers, people will be less motivated to get drunk.  Laws prohibiting the safe of alcohol to underage people in places such as restaurants, pubs and cafes should be strictly enforced.

Conclusion  However, all these solutions require good government intervention and investment, which cannot be provided unless people actively want it. If the society realises the importance of this problem and try to solve it, the amount of “binge drinking” teenagers will decrease, everyone will see a good results, and we will have a healthier generation.