Binge Drinking Statistics and Information

Binge Drinking Statistics and Information

Drinking alcohol almost always comes hand-in-hand with bars and nightclubs. From the second we’re old enough and ugly enough to wrap our lips around a beer bottle, we start experimenting. We test our livers, attempt to outdo our friends, try to impress the opposite sex with how much we can hold down and others drink their problems away. Some people though, drink excessively for no real reason at all. Sad, but very true, binge drinking is a concept which is still alive and thriving in Australia.

I saw this situation unfold for myself over the weekend. I wasn’t at a bar or nightclub. Instead, my friends and I held a small house party which we thought would be nice for an overdue catch up. We got a few bottles of nice wine and cooked up a stack of food.

In every group, there always seems to be someone who takes the fun a little too far. I had thought one particular friend might be up for a huge booze fest so as soon as she arrived I encouraged her to eat dinner with the rest of us. She took my sweet advice, but unfortunately wasn’t able to go through the night without her glass of bourbon and coke. From the time she arrived, until the time she left, she never once had a free hand or an empty glass.

The night ended in typical fashion for her. Yes she over did it, yes she ended up spewing everywhere and yes she felt like absolute crap and totally regretted it the next morning as we munched on our bacon and eggs. Thing is though, I know she’ll be doing the same thing next Saturday night whether she is at home, at a pub, bar or nightclub and every consecutive Saturday after that. Some people never learn!

Sadly however, my friend isn’t alone. The Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], defines binge drinking as more than seven drinks a night for men and more than five for women. According to the National Health and Medical Research Centre [NHMRC], 18 percent of Australian’s between the age of 20 and 29 are binge drinking at least once a week. Females under the age of 19 have overtaken males as higher binge drinkers. While the rates of binge drinking have increased, so have the ages of people binging. Once upon a time, young people were blamed as the biggest bingers, but it seems people of ages up to 55 are now drinking excessively as well.

It also seems Australian’s aren’t’ the only people consumed by alcohol. In the US, 24 percent binge drink, with those under 29 being the biggest guzzlers. In Poland, 40 percent of people binge drink once a month, while 35 percent of people within the UK and Ireland go on monthly benders. Countries like Romania [eight percent], Portugal [nine percent], and Greece [ten percent], had some of the lowest rates of binge drinking in the world.

Doctor Clive Morris from NHMRC said the reasons why people drink excessively are varied. “Some say they do it for fun, some say it helps them deal with their problems and others remark it’s all about loosening inhibitions,” he said. “Binging can be viewed as a way of celebrating, letting go, relieving stress, gaining confidence and to socialise.”

CEO of the Australian Drug Foundation, John Rogerson said Australian society has a huge drinking culture. “Research is now showing that how a community views alcohol determines how much people drink,” he said. “Communities that have a culture of drinking have much higher rates of binging, while communities where drinking is frowned upon have lower statistics.” This research suggests that societal views play a larger part in rates of drinking rather than a family or friends opinion.

Binge drinking doesn’t come without its complications. Forget about the amount of money you would be spending on purchasing alcohol and the time you’d be wasting in drinking heavily all night and spending the entire next day in bed. There is also the medical affects to consider. There have been cases of people getting so tanked that they’ve needed to have their stomachs pumped, their body rehydrated with proper fluids and the increased chance of liver damage. Over time, heavy alcohol consumption can be harmful and life threatening.

Having a glass a day is said to keep the doctor away, but overdoing it can be fatal. Knowing when to stop is a personal choice. Our advice when you’re heading out for a night of drinking would be to pace yourself, drink water between your alcoholic beverages and try not to do anything overly disrespectful.