Binge Drinking

 Let's say you're at a restaurant and you see a guy at a nearby table drinking an entire six-pack of soda pop in one sitting. Pretty bizarre behavior, right? That's 72 ounces of soda pop - and taking 72 ounces of any fluid into your body at one time isn't the best thing you can do for your system. Aside from the film on his teeth and the calories on his waistline, the soda pop drinker will probably be bouncing off the walls for hours from all that caffeine.

Now let's say the person was drinking a six-pack of alcohol instead of soda pop. Just as bizarre, but many college students do it all the time. It's called "binge drinking" - putting away at least five drinks at one time, in one sitting.

Here's where the side effects become more serious: vomiting, dizziness, impaired mental capabilities, hangover - and those are only the short-term reactions. Binge drinking may also cause poor grades, bad moods, fights, accidents, drunk driving, and a variety of health risks.

If you think the problem isn't all that widespread, consider this: 50% of college men and 37% of college women are classified as "binge drinkers." A recent study shows that students spend $5.5 billion each year on alcohol - more than they spend on soda pop, tea, milk, juice, coffee and books combined.

That's a lot of booze. Let's check it out.

So what exactly is Binge Drinking?
High-risk drinking? Excessive drinking? Abusive drinking? Problem drinking? Heavy episodic drinking? It’s all the same phenomenon. In numbers, it’s 5 or more drinks for men, 4 or more drinks for women (based on the Five/Four Measure) in any one "occasion". Occasion being defined by an evening, an afternoon, or more obviously, a morning (particularly if your morning starts at noon).

I drink therefore, I am Drunk.
If that seems a bit nebulous, it might better be measured by intent. If the purpose of the occasion is consuming alcohol with the goal of getting ripped, that’s binge drinking.

Experts in the field of Debauchery.
Yes, there is such a thing. A Harvard study begun in 1993 under Dr. Henry Wechsler further defines binge drinking by the point at which negative consequences result (as viewed by either the drinker or those affected by someone else’s alcohol consumption).




Frequently Asked Questions

 "If I have too much to drink, I can drink a lot of coffee to sober up quickly. Right?"
Ha. Tell us another one! Drinking a lot of coffee after drinking too much alcohol may, however, increase your discomfort through the need to use the bathroom while being transported to the jail on DUI charges. Only time reverses impairment.

"Will eating breath mints after drinking fool a police 'breath test'?"
Eating mints will not affect your BAC level since it isn't the smell of your breath, but the alcohol content, that's measured. Using breath mints, however, may earn you points with the arresting officer if you normally have bad breath.

"Well, at least eating breath mints might fool the officer, right?"
Ha. Sure, police are really fooled when they see a combination of erratic driving behavior and powerfully minty breath. Yep, that one fools us every time. Get real.

"I've heard preparing yourself by eating certain foods before an evening of heavy drinking will help keep your sober. Is that true?"
That story has been around since before your grandparents were born. The only relation we've seen between what you eat before drinking and your drunkeness is that the more you drink, the more likely we are to find what you ate on your shirt, or on the floorboard of the patrol car.

"OK, but if I eat a BIG meal before drinking, won't that help keep me from getting drunk?"
How much you have eaten, and how recently, may have a small effect on how quickly or slowly the alcohol you consume will enter your bloodstream — but it won't stop the alcohol from entering. If you drink too much, you will become intoxicated. There may be, however, a direct correlation between the size of your meal and how much of your meal may be found later in patrol cars and jail cells.

"Will splashing cold water on my face or taking a cold shower help sober me up?"
Splash away! And by all means, take a cold shower. It may make you cleaner, but it won't sober you up or make you a safe driver. The deputies at the jail, however, prefer clean drunks and recommend showering prior to doing anything that will lead to your arrest, such as driving after you've been drinking.

"Will running around the block a few times sober me up enough to drive home?"
Exercise won't sober you up any faster, but feel free to run around the block as many times as you like. The deputies at the jail ask us to remind you to shower after your long run and before you drive a car.

"They were serving a spiked punch, but I couldn't even taste the alcohol in it. I can't be drunk!"
Party-goer, beware. Fruit juices have the ability to mask the taste of alcohol. A fruit "punch" can contain a substantial amount of alcohol without the taste of the alcohol being noticed — but it will make you just as drunk as alcohol which you can taste in another kind of drink. A mild-tasting cup of punch at a party may contain more alcohol than any normal drink you would buy at a bar.




Alcohol Impairment Chart - Females
APPROXIMATE BLOOD ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE
DRINKS*
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
EFFECT ON PERSON
  90 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240  
0
 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00
ONLY SAFE DRIVING LIMIT
1
 .05 .05 .04 .03 .03 .03 .02 .02 .02
IMPAIRMENT BEGINS.
2
 .10 .09 .08 .07 .06 .05 .05 .04 .04
DRIVING SKILLS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED.

POSSIBLE CRIMINAL PENALTIES
3
 .15 .14 .11 .10 .09 .08 .07 .06 .06
4
 .20 .18 .15 .13 .11 .10 .09 .08 .08
5
 .25 .23 .19 .16 .14 .13 .11 .10 .09
6
 .30 .27 .23 .19 .17 .15 .14 .12 .11
LEGALLY INTOXICATED.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES IMPOSED.
7
 .35 .32 .27 .23 .20 .18 .16 .14 .13
8
 .40 .36 .30 .26 .23 .20 .18 .17 .15
9
 .45 .41 .34 .29 .26 .23 .20 .19 .17
10
 .51 .45 .38 .32 .28 .25 .23 .21 .19

Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.
* One drink is equal to 1¼ oz. of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4 oz. of table wine.




Alcohol Impairment Chart - Males
APPROXIMATE BLOOD ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE
DRINKS*
BODY WEIGHT IN POUNDS
EFFECT ON PERSON
  100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240  
0
 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00 .00
ONLY SAFE DRIVING LIMIT
1
 .04 .03 .03 .02 .02 .02 .02 .02
IMPAIRMENT BEGINS.
2
 .08 .06 .05 .05 .04 .04 .03 .03
3
 .11 .09 .08 .07 .06 .06 .05 .05
DRIVING SKILLS SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED.

POSSIBLE CRIMINAL PENALTIES
4
 .15 .12 .11 .09 .08 .08 .07 .06
5
 .19 .16 .13 .12 .11 .09 .09 .08
6
 .23 .19 .16 .14 .13 .11 .10 .09
7
 .26 .22 .19 .16 .15 .13 .12 .11
LEGALLY INTOXICATED.

CRIMINAL PENALTIES IMPOSED.
8
 .30 .25 .21 .19 .17 .15 .14 .13
9
 .34 .28 .24 .21 .19 .17 .15 .14
10
 .38 .31 .27 .23 .21 .19 .17 .16

Subtract .01% for each 40 minutes of drinking.
* One drink is equal to 1¼ oz. of 80 proof liquor, 12 oz. of beer, or 4 oz. of table wine.



The Affect Of Alcohol On You

The affects that alcohol have on the body are consistently predictable regardless of the use pattern. Alcohol is a mood altering depressant drug. The reason that alcohol can cause such extensive damage to the body because it can go everywhere. There is no body cell resistant to alcohol. The first stop is the stomach, where without food, alcohol is absorbed directly into the blood stream. Food will actually slow the absorption of alcohol as will fruit juice and water. Vomiting, one of the body’s defenses against an alcohol overdose, and is caused when you drink too much.

Alcohol moves quickly to the brain and passes the blood-brain barrier, which normally keeps harmful substances away from the brain. In the brain, alcohol affects the neurons, causing judgement problems, coordination problems, and a host of other problem.

Once in the blood stream, alcohol goes to the liver for detoxification, or break down, by the alcohol-attacking enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. Eventually, the alcohol is broken down and excreted from the body.

Your Appearance - If you want to have clear skin and bright eyes, don’t drink alcohol. According to researchers, more than one or two drinks a week promote aging. Alcohol is considered a food with non-nutritional calories that quickly add up. When you abuse alcohol, you tend to be undernourished, making your hair dry, giving you cracked lips, aggravating acne, making your eyes look glassy, and giving your skin a puffy, broken vein look.

Your Brain - Alcohol is a depressant that slows brain activity down. While one or two drinks makes most people feel relaxed, more alcohol may cause feelings of anxiety, depression, and often aggression. Alcohol’s first effect as it reaches the outer brain is to distort your judgement and lower you inhibition, while producing euphoria (a sense of pleasure). As you consume more alcohol, and it reaches the cerebellum, your coordination and perception are affected, and you can have memory blackouts. As the alcohol reaches your mid-brain, reflexes diminish, you experience confusion, stupor, and may lapse into a coma. Once the alcohol finally reaches the medulla, or inner core of the brain, your heart rate drops and breathing ceases, resulting in death. Research suggests that continued alcohol use can cause depression. Alcohol robs brain cells of water and glucose, the brain’s food, contributing to a hangover the next day.

Your Gastrointestinal Tract - The stomach is irritated by alcohol, causing increased stomach acid production, causing heartburn and eventually ulcers. Alcohol use is linked to cancer of the mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. The liver, due to it’s role in breaking down alcohol, suffers the most damage. Alcohol use leads to destruction of liver cells, fat accumulation around the liver, and cirrhosis which is a fatal condition. Alcohol is also a diuretic, which causes the kidneys to increase urinary output, contributing to dehydration and your hangover.

Your Reproductive System - Although the research here is new, it is know that alcohol decreases the male hormone testosterone. Long-term use causes not only decreased function, but size. The use of alcohol in men and women causes increased sexual desire, but decreased performance. Alcohol is toxic to unborn children causing permanent tissue and organ damage.

Other - Alcohol depresses the body’s immune system making it easier to get sick. It also disrupts your sleep patterns, further depressing the immune system. Alcohol has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, constipation, and strokes.




Alcohol Facts
  • Every year, college students spend $5.5 billion dollars on alcohol, mostly beer. This is more than they spend on books, soda pop, coffee, juice, and milk combined, averaging $466 per student per year.
  • College students drink an estimated 4 billion cans of beer annually.
  • The total amount of alcohol consumed by college students each year is 430 million gallons, enough for every college and university in the United States to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.
  • As many as 360,000 of the nation's 12 million undergraduates will die from alcohol-related causes while in school. This is more than the number who will receive M.A. and Ph.D. degrees.
  • Nearly half of all college students are binge drinkers.
  • Beer manufacturers spend an estimated $15-20 million annually to promote their products to college students.
  • Almost 4% of all college students drink alcohol daily.
  • Studies show that fraternity members drink more often and more heavily than other college students.
  • The number of college women who drink to get drunk has more than tripled in the past ten years, rising from 10% to 35%.
  • On America's college campuses, alcohol is a factor in 40% of all academic problems, and 28% of all dropouts.
  • A daily glass of wine can increase your weight by as much as 10 pounds a year.
  • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is one of the leading causes of birth defects and developmental disabilities in the United States, and is the largest single cause of mental retardation in the Western Hemisphere.
  • 75% of male students and 55% of female students involved in acquaintance rape had been drinking or using drugs at the time.
  • On the positive side, there is a small but significant downward trend in alcohol use on America's campuses. In 1985 the percentage of college students who had consumed alcohol in the previous 30 days was 80.3%. By 1990 that number had declined to 74.5%, and continues to decline each year.

    Blood Alcohol Levels And Metabolism

    There are many factors that affect the rate of intoxication and the metabolism of alcohol. No two people process alcohol at the same rate. The presence of food in the stomach decreases the rate of absorption. Fasting (not eating) increases stomach emptying, thus increasing the rate of absorption. Alcohol mixed with water or fruit juice is absorbed slower, while alcohol mixed with a carbonated beverage is absorbed faster.

    Body weight and composition are two other factors that effect these rates. Men tend to handle alcohol better than women do. This is because men are generally larger, thus have a larger blood volume, and carry less body fat. Body fat contains little water for the body to use in diluting alcohol. Men also have more of the alcohol metabolizing enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase.

    The situation, your mood, and why you have chosen to drink on a particular occasion effect how alcohol affects you. The body does develop a physical and psychological dependence to alcohol over time. Increased drinking increases your tolerance, requiring more alcohol to cause an affect in you. The type and concentration of alcohol consumed effect the rate of intoxication and metabolism. Most people consider one drink to be equivalent to one 12 ounce beer, one 80 proof mixed drink or shot of liquor, or one five ounce glass of wine.



    So, blood alcohol concentration (BAC) charts are a good guideline to use in determining my level of intoxication, right? Wrong. BAC charts should only be used as a very general guideline. Usually, BAC charts are based only on body weight, number of drinks per hour, and a metabolism rate of 0.5 ounces per hour. The charts do not take into account gender differences, body composition differences, use of medication, mood changes, or your personal metabolism rate. Be very careful when utilizing these references and remember to take all of these factors into account.

    The following is a generalized alcohol affect chart based on a 150 pound person, metabolizing 0.5 ounces of alcohol per hour, that has eaten. Please note that 50% of the persons who attain a blood alcohol level of 0.4 will die!

    Blood Alcohol Level Affect On Body
    0.02 Slight mood changes
    0.06 Lowered inhibition, impaired judgement, decreased rational decision-making abilities.
    0.08 Legally drunk, deterioration of reaction time and control.
    0.15 Impaired balance, movement, and coordination. Difficulty standing, walking, talking.
    0.20 Decreased pain and sensation. Erratic emotions.
    0.30 Diminished reflexes. Semi-consciousness.
    0.40 Loss of consciousness. Very limited reflexes. Anesthetic effects.
    0.50 Death.


    Caution
    Death has been documented to occur at levels as low as 0.35. Remember, each person is different.

    Also, the absence of symptoms does not guarantee safe or low blood alcohol levels. With regular drinking a person develops a tolerance to alcohol that will reduce the outward appearance of high blood alcohol levels.




    Alcohol and Health

     Some of the information in this section may startle you, but it'll also help you understand how drinking affects your health in different ways, and whether or not you're putting yourself at risk by using alcohol.

    Health problems that can be significantly influenced by alcohol include:

    AIDS
    Alcoholism
    Alcohol Poisoning
    Cancer
    Depression and Suicide
    Heart Disease
    Liver Disease
    Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

    How To Identify And Care For An Intoxicated Person

    Unfortunately, getting drunk is common on the college campus. Because of this you are likely to come into contact with a person who is intoxicated or experiencing an episode of life-threatening, acute alcohol intoxication (alcohol poisoning). How do you care for this person? How do you tell if the person is acutely intoxicated? What should you do? Listed below are some of the signs and symptoms of intoxication, alcohol poisoning, and the appropriate actions to take. This list is not all inclusive.

    IDENTIFICATION
    Alcohol affects each individual differently. The affect of alcohol on a person will vary according to the person’s mood, the time of day, amount of food in the stomach, the mixer used, how fast the person drinks, what and why they are drinking.

    Signs of intoxication:
  • A person who is overly friendly.
  • Someone talking loudly, bragging, or using foul language.
  • You will usually find the person annoying or arguing with others.
  • The inability to light a cigarette, or attempting to light more than one cigarette at a time.
  • Someone with slurred or slowed speech, who tends to lose their train of thought.
  • A person who complains about the service.
  • Spills the drink or misses their mouth.
  • Glassy eyes, dilated pupils, inability to focus, sleepy look, and bobbing head.
  • Drinking faster than usual.
  • Staggering, swaying, or the inability to walk.

    CARE
  • First and foremost, STAY WITH THE INTOXICATED PERSON.
  • Remain calm so that the intoxicated person will remain calm.
  • Always be prepared for the unexpected and assess the seriousness of the situation.
  • Be aware of the physical dangers and be prepared to get immediate medical help if needed.
  • If you have been drinking, get a sober person to help.

    ASSESSING THE INTOXICATED PERSON
  • Count respirations, or how many times the person breaths in one full minute. If the person is breathing less than twelve times per minute or stops breathing for periods of ten seconds or more, CALL 911.
  • Try to wake the person if they appear to be asleep. If you can not wake the person, CALL 911.
  • Look at the person’s skin. If it is cold, pale, bluish in color, or sweaty, CALL 911.
  • Stay with the person who is vomiting! Try to keep the person sitting up, if they must lay down, keep them on their side with their head turned to the side. Watch for choking, if the person begins to choke, GET HELP IMMEDIATELY.
  • Do not attempt to give the person food if they can not get it themselves. Giving the semiconscious person food could cause vomiting, choking, or aspiration.
  • If you cannot keep the person awake, position them on their side in a fetal position. Place a pillow in the small of their back to prevent them from rolling out of this position. This is important to help prevent aspiration if the person should vomit. STAY WITH THE PERSON and wake them up frequently. Just because the person is sleeping doesn’t mean that the alcohol cannot get to the brain. Alcohol levels continue to rise, causing the person to become unconscious, rather than asleep. If at any time you can not wake the person up, CALL 911.
  • Any person that has altered consciousness, slowed respirations, or cool, pale skin is experiencing acute alcohol intoxication (alcohol poisoning). This is a medical emergency and you MUST get help.

    DO NOT. . . . . . . . . . . . .
  • Laugh, make fun of, or provoke the person
  • Exercise the person
  • Allow the person to drive a car or bicycle
  • Give the person food, liquid, or drugs to sober them up
  • Give the person a cold shower; the shock of the cold could cause unconsciousness




    Alcohol Help

     Feel like talking to someone about alcohol? Want to learn more about making low-risk or no-risk drinking decisions? Want to help a friend?

    A good place to start is your school's counseling service. It's a place where, in a relaxed atmosphere, you can talk, learn more about yourself and decide whether you need additional help for alcohol-related problems.

    Following is a list of other services where advice and assistance are available. It's all free and confidential, of course.

    Alcoholics Anonymous
    Al-Anon Alateen