Binge Drinking 3

Binge Drinking

      Binge drinking has been identified as a problem among men and women. Most of the blame of binge drinking goes to the ease of accessibility. There are consequences of such radical decisions, but always keep in mind there is always a way to help someone or be helped.

Binge drinking is a common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours.

Liquor stores, bars, and alcoholic beverage companies make drinking seem attractive and fun. It's easy for a high school student to get caught up in a social scene with lots of peer pressure. Inevitably, one of the biggest areas of peer pressure is drinking. There are many other reasons why people drink such as; they're curious and want to know what it's like to drink alcohol; they believe that it will make them feel good, not realizing it could just as easily make them sick and hung-over; they may look at alcohol as a way to reduce stress, even though it can end up creating more stress.

Many people don't think about the negative side of drinking. Although they think about the possibility of getting drunk, they may not give much consideration to being hung-over or throwing up. You may know from experience that excessive drinking can lead to difficulty concentrating, memory lapses, mood changes, and other problems that affect your day-to-day life. But binge drinking carries more serious and longer-lasting risks as well.

      It can be hard for some people to talk to adults about these issues, so an alternative could be a trusted friend or older sibling who is easy to talk to. Drinking too much can be the result of social pressures, and sometimes it helps to know there are others who...