Binge Drinking: Young Adults

Unfortunately, too many parents know very little about the dangers of binge drinking and young adults (18-24yrs).

Perhaps the #1 response I hear from parents is ‘ there just kids having fun’. Though some youth may be ‘experimenting’, some may not. There a certain ‘tall tale’ behavior that may reveal troubling times ahead. The dangers are real and parents and adult children should know about it. Please read on….

The CAS (Harvard School of Public Health; College Alcohol Study) study found that approximately 50% of the male and 39% of the female students were binge drinkers.(National Institute of Health)

The likelihood of a young adult male becoming an alcoholic is 1 in 5 or 20%, twice the overall number.
Only 5% seek help.

The overall number of recorded alcoholics in North America is 1 in 10 or 10% (CAMH)

US measure standard drink;

• 12 ounces of beer, which is usually about 5 percent alcohol
• 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12 percent alcohol
• 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40 percent alcohol.

Young adult binge drinkers show significantly high judgement impairment. They were 14 times more likely to drive while impaired by alcohol vs non–binge drinkers. (JAMA). The incidents of harm to themselves self by provocation, harm to self by other circumstance, or harm to others is substantially increased with binge drinking.

Typical guidelines for determining alcoholism may not include criteria of issues of character which may indicate individual risk factors. Even where a person may not ‘qualify’ by some forms of assessment as an alcoholic, their character may show them to be High Risk candidates. Getting in touch with a qualified councellor is recommended . Some of the criteria for those at risk are;

• Changes in personality, arrogance, risky behavior, intolerance , agitation, anger, disregard and disrespect of self and others (how a person acts and speaks).
• Drink for the purpose of being intoxicated.
• Failing to heed to those around him/her to ‘stop drinking ’ or other behaviors. Boligerance
• A proper assessment may show that following (and during ) drinking episodes a person experiences mood swings. He/she may experience hangover, lethargy, loss concentration.
• People who drink to excess often have issues of varying degree of issues such as; OCD, ADD-ADHD bi polar disorder, PTSD, anxiety disorder and depression etc.

This is only a brief outline. If you want more information about Alcohol and Addiction, please contact me.

Lawrence Lax
Addictions and Counseling (Honors)