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What Is a Binge Drinker?

Binge drinking occurs when you drink enough alcohol in a short period of time to drive up your blood alcohol level to legal intoxication. In a country where more than half of adults over the age of 18 consume alcohol on a regular basis, this type of over consumption poses significant risks. This is true even though many who fit the definition of binge drinkers are not always alcoholics.

  1. The Definition

    • For women it only takes four alcoholic beverages consumed within a two-hour time frame to become legally intoxicated. For men it takes five drinks in the same time frame to meet the criteria. Those who consume alcohol excessively typically do not stop at four or five drinks; instead they average eight, with younger drinkers consuming even more than that. This constitutes binge drinking. Those who have participated in this behavior within the last two weeks are considered binge drinkers.

    The Statistics

    • According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 92 percent of American adults who have a history of excessive drinking admit to binge drinking in the last 30 days. An alarming 90 percent of those who drink under the legal drinking age of 21 are binge drinking; the highest proportion of binge drinking occurs in the 18 to 20-year-old group. Men typically indulge in this behavior more than women.

    Binge Drinking and Alcoholism

    • Despite the statistics most binge drinkers are not dependent upon alcohol. Because 80 percent of binge drinkers are not alcoholics, the issue of binge drinking is not seen as a significant health problem. The excessive pattern of this type of drinking is problematic, however. It not only can set the stage for alcohol dependency, but it presents complications that can compromise the binge drinker's ability to function properly. This leads to dangerous behavior and poor choices with long lasting consequences.

    The Dangers

    • Binge drinkers are 14 percent more likely to report alcohol-impaired driving over their non-binge drinking counterparts. This dangerous intoxication also leads to injuries, unintentional, intentional and even criminal. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, intoxicated perpetrators are responsible for one in three sexual assaults. Reckless intoxication also results in unintended pregnancies and transmission of diseases. Alcohol poisoning from excessive consumption can prove fatal.

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