Article on binge drinking

Amy Seabrook

Binge drinking statistics are scary. For men, more than five drinks in one sitting would count as a binge, and for women it’s more than four. With binge drinking becoming increasingly common in youth culture, what is it that makes it so attractive to young people?

Recent figures have shown that binge drinking is most common in people aged 18-24 years. Students have always been linked with alcohol, with university bars providing cash-strapped students extremely cheap prices.

So, is it the cheap prices that encourage young people to drink in excess, or could it be that they simply don’t realise they’re bingeing?

A study by the Office for National Statistics revealed that nearly 80% of us have no idea how much we’re drinking on a night out. The Government classes just six units in one session for a woman as binge drinking. That’s just two large 250ml glasses of wine. Government research shows that, today, 75% of bars offer a 175ml glass as standard, while 14% use a 250ml, and a massive 70% of bars refuse the option of a small 125ml glass.

Is it unsurprising then, that a third of young women now officially binge drink?

The Department of Health is so concerned about the amount young women now drink, it has launched a £10m advertising campaign, aimed at helping them know their units. Health Minister Dawn Primarolo recently stated: “Glass sizes have grown larger and the strength of many drinks has increased.” If this is the case, could it mean that young people don’t actually choose to binge drink?

Research published by the health charity DPP: Developing Patient Partnerships found that 24% of Britons sometimes drink just to “get drunk”. The figure is even higher in young people with 59% of 18-24 year olds and 43% of 25-34 year olds drinking to get drunk.

For many though, this is not the case. Other reasons young people often give for binge drinking is peer pressure and the need to socialise, especially for students. DeMontfort university student, Tatei Montejo said: “I do feel there’s a certain amount of pressure to drink on night’s out at university, simply because everyone else is, and you don’t want to be the boring one.

“I definitely drink a lot more than I ever did at home, but I don’t think I binge drink.” One reason the figure is so high for people between 18-24 years of age is because they want to appear mature. Once you hit 18 years, and everyone else is drinking and going to bars, it does seem like the ‘thing to do’, simply because you can.

So, even though research has shown that many Britons do choose to drink simply to get drunk, many argue that they drink for other reasons, and it’s often just to have fun. Many don’t realise they’re binging because they are unaware of how much they are drinking, and how strong the drinks they’re being served are.

Could this mean that the blame for binge drinking becoming part of youth culture should be shifted? Maybe not, but young people don’t always intend to binge, and need to be taught about what is safe for them to drink.

Here are some interesting figures regarding the amounts people really drink:

•  BINGE DRINKING NIGHTS A YEAR
Finland: 32
Ireland: 32
UK: 28
Belgium: 27
Denmark: 21
Germany: 21
France: 20
Netherlands: 18
Spain: 14
Greece: 12
Sweden: 10
•  The average rate of binge drinking in the UK is about once every 13 days - the third highest rate in Europe and four times higher than in Italy.
•  And over the last 10 years, binge drinking in UK girls has increased to the second highest level in Europe.

(Figures taken from BBC news/health)