Weekend house call: binge drinkingUPDATED 10:33 AM CDT Aug 03, 2014Video Transcript
MEDICAL EDITOR DR. COREY HEBERT HAS THE SOBERING FACTS ON BINGE DRINKING. Alcohol is a part of many people's lives, but did you know that more than 18 percent of Americans face real problems with it, from binge drinking to alcoholism. Have you crossed the line into alcohol abuse? Well with school about to start, I think we need to visit this concept very seriously. Binge drinking is pervasive common among 18 to 21-year-olds... and if you're in college or have been to college, chances are that you've done it before. So what does it mean to binge drink, anyway? There is currently no international consensus on how many drinks constitute a 'binge,' but the term is often taken to mean the following: for a man, consuming 5 or more standard drinks, or 4 or more drinks for a woman, in about 1 to 3 hours. However, these numbers vary significantly based on weight and numerous other variables. Binge drinking is prevalent on almost every college campus, and is often incorporated into many college activities, from sporting events to parties and random lonely restless nights away from home. Unfortunately, people who binge drink on a regular basis often suffer negative consequences as a result, like missed classes, poor grades, or trouble with the police. As well, regular binge drinkers are considerably more likely to drive drunk or to have unprotected sex -activities that have some potential consequences of their own. Here is another sobering statistic: each year 1,400 college students die from alcohol poisoning associated with binge drinking. The best defense against the consequences of binge drinking is obvious - don't binge drink, it is NEVER acceptable behavior. However, many people won't make that choice to abstain totally from alcohol because they want to drink as a part of their college experience. If you are among them, you can make your experience safer by alternating your alcoholic drinks with water or low sugar sports drinks. This will help slow the rate at which you absorb the alcohol into your blood stream. And eating something with a bit of fat before you start drinking-like a grilled cheese or a slice of pizza-will help you metabolize alcohol at a slower, more controlled rate. You can also reduce the chances of unintended consequences by making sure that someone in your group does not drink AT ALL to keep track of everyone else. Bottom line? 70-percent of college students admit to binge drinking at least once a week. So parents please have this difficult conversation with your child before you send them off to that university. That talk may just save their life. Im medical editor dr corey hebert with your weekend house call.