Stay Dry Mississippi B INGE D RINKING

W HAT IS B INGE D RINKING ? According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) National Advisory Council “concentration (BAC) to 0.08 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.”

B INGE DRINKING STATISTICS  Nearly 7.2 million persons under 21 (18%) are binge drinkers, and 2.3 million (6.0%) were heavy drinkers.  44% of students attending 4-year colleges drink alcohol at the binge level or greater.  Young adults age enrolled full- time in college were more likely than their peers not enrolled full time to use alcohol, to binge drink, and to drink heavily.

BINGE STATS CONTINUED  48% of college drinkers report that ‘drinking to get drunk’ is an important reason for drinking.  Binge drinkers consume 91% of all alcohol that college students reported drinking, while 68% of alcohol was consumed by frequent binge drinkers.  College students who first become intoxicated before age 19 are more likely to be alcohol dependent and frequent heavy drinkers. These younger drinkers are also more likely to report driving after drinking, riding with a driver who was drinking or drunk, and sustaining injuries after drinking alcohol that required medical attention. Center For Science In The Public Interest

N EGATIVE IMPACT Academic Performance  Frequent binge drinkers are 21 times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss classes.  Frequent binge drinkers fall behind in schoolwork  Binge drinkers experience disruption of sleep and/or study Social Relationships  Frequent binge drinkers engage in unplanned sexual activity.  Frequent binge drinkers do not use protection when having sex.  Binge drinkers experience greater occurrences of verbal, physical and sexual violence.

N EGATIVE IMPACT CONT ’ D Health  Frequent binge drinkers engage in vandalism, are injured or hurt.  1,700 college students die each year from alcohol- related unintentional injures, more often due to motor vehicle crashes.  30,000 college student require medical treatment after overdosing on alcohol.  Each year, 599,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are unintentionally injured under the influence of alcohol.

N EGATIVE IMPACT CONT ’ D  696,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 are assaulted by another student who has been drinking.  5% of female students reported that they were the victims of sexual assault, and 3 in 4 of these students were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the rape.  Annually, 400,000 students between the ages of engage in unprotected sex and more than 100,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 report having been to intoxicated to know if they consented to having sex. Center For Science In The Public Interest

W HAT YOU SHOULD DO ! Are you a binge drinker? Do you know someone who binge drinks?

H ELP FOR BINGE DRINKERS  Keep track of the amount of drinks consumed.  Set goals  Handle urges- Call a trusted friend or family member.  Get professional help- AA (Alcoholic Anonymous), other counseling services or a physician. U.S Department of Health and Human Services Small changes Big Results

H ELP FOR A FRIEND OR LOVE ONE  Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?  Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?  Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?  Have you every had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover? One YES suggest that your friend or loved one needs YOUR help. ENCOURAGE OR TAKE THE PERSON TO SEE A DOCTOR OR OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDER RIGHT AWAY.

STOP THE URGE TO BINGE DRINK STAY DRY!