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Binge drinking continues to be a growing trend
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| Binge drinking continues to be a growing trend. |
By JESSICA WILLIAMS-GIBSON
Drug addiction is a major problem in the U.S, however binge drinking is oftentimes left out of those conversations, especially when dealing with teens and young adults.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that binge drinking is a common pattern in the U.S.
Adults also fall into that pattern, as more than 9 percent of people over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. However 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the U.S. is in the form of binge drinking.
“This is an enormous problem costing us $300 billion a year in lost productivity, health care costs, criminal justice costs and so on. It’s time for us to do a better job in addressing the problem. Binge drinking is one piece of the puzzle, but it is an enormous puzzle,” said Robert Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc.
Lindsey goes on to say binge drinking may be a hidden subject because people don’t understand it. Binge drinking is not simply drinking as fast as you can, but it is defined as men consuming five or more drinks and women consuming four or more drinks in less than two hours.
People also don’t understand the amounts of alcohol consumed that contribute to binge drinking. Lindsey says one can of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of hard alcohol are all equivalent to each other. However when college students drink alcohol users aren’t carefully measuring the amounts of alcohol used, and cups and glasses are typically larger than normal.
“It’s no question that people are consuming more than they think they are. People will say, ‘I had one drink.’ I ask them what’s in it and before you know it, they’re talking about four or five drinks and calling it one,” said Lindsey.
For many students the objective to drinking is how quickly can one become drunk. It might seem fun, but university students are grossly unaware of risks such as alcohol overdose death, injuries under the influence of alcohol, assault by other students who are drinking and alcohol-related sexual assault or risky sexual behavior.
Parents are historically more comfortable talking about drugs with their children, however those discussions do not include alcohol even though alcohol is the most common used and abused drug among young people.
Teens arrive on college campuses with expectations of excessive partying and drinking, not fully knowing those risks.
“It’s my learned opinion that this is how they’re programmed. Research shows by the time kids are 18 they have seen over 100,000 alcohol ads or references as opposed to the kinds of messages my office might give,” said Dee Owens, director of the Alcohol and Drug Information Center, Indiana University, Bloomington.
In addition to those expectations, going away to college may be teens’ first taste of freedom from their parents, so they become curious or may cave under peer pressure.
Crystal Abrell, a student at the University of Indianapolis recalls a time when she was at a college party and a massive amount of underage drinking tickets were given.
She does not condone binge drinking however, she is very aware of its frequent occurrence on college campuses.
“I think when turning 21 everyone experiences the binge drinking stage. In college it seems more acceptable because students are old enough to know better but still too young to consider the consequences. I think it is something every new drinker experiences in order to become a more responsible drinker and adult,” said Abrell who also states she has binge drank before.
For a long time, colleges have experienced the type of student Abrell speaks of, and are now cracking down on binge drinking. Owens says Indiana University not only strictly enforces Indiana state law, but has also collaborated with the City of Bloomington to enforce that law, educate students and change the college culture and environment.
Indiana University also has an alcohol intervention program and recently received a federal grant to provide an online course called AlcoholEdu for every incoming freshman student. Indiana University exceeded those funds, however added this program to its budget due to extremely positive results.
“Generally most students form their drinking habits in about the first six weeks of school. You’ve got to frontload stuff to get their attention early on and assist them before they go off the deep end,” said Owens.
As a college student, Abrell says not all college students binge drink, but is certain a good majority of them do. Her ideas coincide with the CDC’s findings that although college students commonly binge drink, 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involve adults over age 25.
To curb binge drinking among teens and college students and prevent such behaviors from carrying over into adulthood, Lindsey suggests initiating change by discussing the entire problem of alcohol, not just drunk driving. He also suggests strongly enforcing the under 21 drinking law and says if you suspect a loved one to have a drinking problem, get them help from a trained individual right away.
“There’s lots of stuff to do on campuses every day. You don’t have to lay drunk in the streets,” said Owens.
For more information, call (212) 269-7797 or visit www.ncadd.org; Mothers Against Drunk Driving at (317) 781-6233 or visit www.madd.org/in; or the CDC at www.cdc.gov.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that binge drinking is a common pattern in the U.S.
Adults also fall into that pattern, as more than 9 percent of people over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. However 90 percent of the alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the U.S. is in the form of binge drinking.
“This is an enormous problem costing us $300 billion a year in lost productivity, health care costs, criminal justice costs and so on. It’s time for us to do a better job in addressing the problem. Binge drinking is one piece of the puzzle, but it is an enormous puzzle,” said Robert Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Inc.
Lindsey goes on to say binge drinking may be a hidden subject because people don’t understand it. Binge drinking is not simply drinking as fast as you can, but it is defined as men consuming five or more drinks and women consuming four or more drinks in less than two hours.
People also don’t understand the amounts of alcohol consumed that contribute to binge drinking. Lindsey says one can of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of hard alcohol are all equivalent to each other. However when college students drink alcohol users aren’t carefully measuring the amounts of alcohol used, and cups and glasses are typically larger than normal.
“It’s no question that people are consuming more than they think they are. People will say, ‘I had one drink.’ I ask them what’s in it and before you know it, they’re talking about four or five drinks and calling it one,” said Lindsey.
For many students the objective to drinking is how quickly can one become drunk. It might seem fun, but university students are grossly unaware of risks such as alcohol overdose death, injuries under the influence of alcohol, assault by other students who are drinking and alcohol-related sexual assault or risky sexual behavior.
Parents are historically more comfortable talking about drugs with their children, however those discussions do not include alcohol even though alcohol is the most common used and abused drug among young people.
Teens arrive on college campuses with expectations of excessive partying and drinking, not fully knowing those risks.
“It’s my learned opinion that this is how they’re programmed. Research shows by the time kids are 18 they have seen over 100,000 alcohol ads or references as opposed to the kinds of messages my office might give,” said Dee Owens, director of the Alcohol and Drug Information Center, Indiana University, Bloomington.
In addition to those expectations, going away to college may be teens’ first taste of freedom from their parents, so they become curious or may cave under peer pressure.
Crystal Abrell, a student at the University of Indianapolis recalls a time when she was at a college party and a massive amount of underage drinking tickets were given.
She does not condone binge drinking however, she is very aware of its frequent occurrence on college campuses.
“I think when turning 21 everyone experiences the binge drinking stage. In college it seems more acceptable because students are old enough to know better but still too young to consider the consequences. I think it is something every new drinker experiences in order to become a more responsible drinker and adult,” said Abrell who also states she has binge drank before.
For a long time, colleges have experienced the type of student Abrell speaks of, and are now cracking down on binge drinking. Owens says Indiana University not only strictly enforces Indiana state law, but has also collaborated with the City of Bloomington to enforce that law, educate students and change the college culture and environment.
Indiana University also has an alcohol intervention program and recently received a federal grant to provide an online course called AlcoholEdu for every incoming freshman student. Indiana University exceeded those funds, however added this program to its budget due to extremely positive results.
“Generally most students form their drinking habits in about the first six weeks of school. You’ve got to frontload stuff to get their attention early on and assist them before they go off the deep end,” said Owens.
As a college student, Abrell says not all college students binge drink, but is certain a good majority of them do. Her ideas coincide with the CDC’s findings that although college students commonly binge drink, 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involve adults over age 25.
To curb binge drinking among teens and college students and prevent such behaviors from carrying over into adulthood, Lindsey suggests initiating change by discussing the entire problem of alcohol, not just drunk driving. He also suggests strongly enforcing the under 21 drinking law and says if you suspect a loved one to have a drinking problem, get them help from a trained individual right away.
“There’s lots of stuff to do on campuses every day. You don’t have to lay drunk in the streets,” said Owens.
For more information, call (212) 269-7797 or visit www.ncadd.org; Mothers Against Drunk Driving at (317) 781-6233 or visit www.madd.org/in; or the CDC at www.cdc.gov.
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