Binge Drinking – Too Much Too Fast: The Dangers of Excessive Alcohol Consumption

Posted June 8, 2015 in Living with Addiction by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann

Bars, parties, and social gatherings – what do all of these have in common? Booze…

Yes, from beer to wine to Jell-O Shots, alcohol is a way many celebrate a good time. And for most folks, an occasional drink is harmless and doesn’t pose a problem. But then there are those who overindulge. There are those who don’t know their personal limits. There are those who binge drink.

… the number of people who drink is on an upward trend. And to top it off, those who do drink are binging and drinking more heavily.-RAYCHELLE LOHMANNAcross the nation binge drinking is increasing, especially among women. However, it should be noted that men still drink more than women. According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health, the number of people who drink is on an upward trend. And to top it off, those who do drink are binging and drinking more heavily.

Interestingly, the study also looked at each county in the nation and identified where alcohol consumption is not only the worst, but also the fastest growing. You can see where your state and county landed by following this link.

Binge Drinking Defined

So, just what is binge drinking? According to the Center for Disease Control(CDC), binge drinking is defined as a female consuming 4 or more drinks on a single occasion and a male consuming 5 or more drinks in one sitting. Binge drinking is scary business; that powerful liquid has the ability to change a life…and not in a good way.

High levels of alcohol consumption can cause memory problems, car crashes, injuries, alcohol poisoning and worse yet, can result in fatalities.

Did you know that mass alcohol consumption is the leading cause of premature death in the United States? These same spirits are responsible for 1 in 10 deaths among adults age 20 to 64 years and the cause of an estimated 88,000 deaths in the US between the years 2006 and 2010.

To put that into perspective, alcohol has prematurely cut the lives of those who died by 30 years! So – approximately 2.5 million years of potential life was lost each year due to excessive alcohol consumption; now that’s certainly something to think about.

Binge drinking has also been associated with many health problems including:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Cancer
• Liver Disease
• Chemical Dependency
• STDs
• Alcohol Poisoning

Among the youth, binge drinking has been associated with cognitive impairment. The brain is still developing during adolescence and excessive alcohol consumption can have an indefinite effect memory and learning.

Recognizing the Danger of Alcohol

There is no doubt about it, alcohol is one of the most widely available drugs on the market and the thought of people gulping it down is concerning.

People who binge drink are not only putting themselves at risk, they are putting others in jeopardy as well. Binge drinking doesn’t mean alcohol dependency, although over time it most definitely can lead to addiction. Does the cost outweigh the risk when it comes to dangerously consuming too much alcohol?

If you are concerned with your drinking habits, please reach out for professional help. Here is a link to Rehabs.com that has unlimited information to help you begin your recovery process.