binge drinking
...ight, young people participate in binge drinking. ( This is a summary of all five articles that I found for the activity.) www.edc.org www.health.act.gov.au Www.hsph.harvard.edu www.psu.edu www.stulife.tanu.edu Information on Binge Drinking Binge drinking is defined for men as five or more consecutive alcoholic beverages as well as four or more drinks in a row for a woman. Frequent binge drinking is binging three or more times in a two week span. Binge drinking is not only dangerous for the person who has done the drinking, but it puts other people at risk. If binging is continued for an extended amount of time, it may lead to alcoholism. Alcoholism is the bodies dependance on alcoholic substances. Who It Affects The major percentage if binge drinkers are college students. Forty-four percent of U.S. college students engage in binge drinking (Higher 5). Also, being white, involved in athletics or a resident in a fraternity or sorority are additional factors in who becomes a binger. Although binging mainly relates to college students, it may begin in high school. High school students that drink are three times more likely to become binge drinkers in college than those who do not drink. Also, many people fail to realize that when drinking is involved there are many other people affected by one persons actions. At many colleges, random acts of violence and vandalism from bingers are compensated by everyone paying an increase in tuition (Secondary 2). In addition , when many innocent people are injured or killed every year in relation to alcohol binges. Risk Factors There are various risk factors involved in binge drinking. For instance, they are more apt to miss classes, fall behind on schoolwork, engage in unplanned sexual activities and fail to use a contraceptive. Other risks include injuring yourself or others and possibly, the final result could be death. Signs Possible signs of a binge drinker are excessive consumption of alcohol, withdraw from activities, and a raised tolerance to alcohol. If you are studying the behaviors of a person, there might be a change in attitude or hiding that they are a frequent binger. Just like a drug addiction , bingers might also steal money if it is necessary. Prevention One form of prevention that was not discussed in "Prevention Measures" was the fact that parents need to educate their children at a young age about the affects of alcohol and binge drinking. By waiting to inform them about the dangers, a parent is only leaving their child in the hands of uneducated youths. This is also known as peer pressure. Basic Treatments Basic treatments for binge drinking are often found in forms of counseling. For instance, binging can often lead to alcoholism or the bodies dependance on alcohol. Alcoholism is a noncommunicable disease that can be passed down genetically. That means that a person can have a natural tendency to drink if a previous member of their family had an alcohol problem. There are groups such as alcoholics anonymous (a.k.a. AA). However, the first step in receiving adequate treatment is for the binger to admit that they have a drinking problem. In a survey conducted, two-tenths of one percent admitted that they were a "binge drinker." Also, 26% of men and 17% of women that are considered bingers admitted that they had a drinking problem. Yet only three percent of all ...