Drinking Habits and Alcohol Misuse
Patterns of Binge Drinking
Binge drinking has probably been around for as long as the discovery of alcoholic beverages. Who is a binge drinker? It’s not a teenage fad. It’s not a contest among social drinkers. Both male and female alcohol drinkers are identified as binge drinkers.
When you cross the invisible line from carefree social times into situations that cripple your everyday activities, you’re headed straight into the alcohol misuse zone.
Alcohol misuse is an umbrella term for harmful and risky drinking behaviour. Binge drinking fits securely here. And it’s not social drinking.
The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism details this pattern of drinking. Both the amount and the time period are important as the amount of alcohol moves a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. That’s the legal limit in many jurisdictions. Besides reaching the legal limit, absorption in the bloodstream also has fast and negative affects on both motor and decision-making skills.
Risks of Alcohol Consumption
What Is Alcohol Poisoning
The alcohol in your beverage isn’t poison. Yet, drink too much in a short time and you set yourself up for alcohol poisoning. Then, a dangerous situation follows. The Mayo Clinic explains the symptoms and causes.
Alcohol Intolerance
This condition affects some people. Ever heard someone say,I get a headache or my face flushes if I sip any alcohol?
Here are details about the alcohol intolerance. This site offers more information about the condition.
Future of Underage Alcohol Drinkers
Underage drinking isn’t legal. When you’re young and curious with peer pressure around, it’s easy to try a drink. If a young person starts consuming alcohol, there's a possibility that misuse and abuse will become issues when the person reaches the legal drinking age.
Forbes is on the underage drinking bandwagon. A February 6, 2020 report takes aim at social media ads. Taking results from a study in the March issue of Preventive Medicine, Forbes states that the type of screens viewed by young people and how ads are presented could encourage drinking alcohol.
The study also questioned the time spent on screens in relation to reduced drinking, as well as the presentation of the ads that reach viewers. Now, a single policy for presentation doesn’t exist across social media.
Study Sends Positive Message for Underage Consumption
There’s a positive outlook in the relationship between depressive symptoms and binge drinking among young people. In a November 14, 2019 news release a re-thinking is needed between the connection of mental health issues and alcohol among young people.
This is the view of Dr. Katherine M. Keyes, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Her statement is based on the U.S.A Monitoring the Future surveys dating from 1991 to 2018. The sample included 58,444 12th grade adolescents.
Two definitions are used in the study. One, binge drinking is having more than five drinks during two previous weeks. The other, depressive symptoms are based on responses to statements that life is meaningless or hopeless.
The findings showed a decrease of 16 percent between 1991 and 2018. Dr. Keyes also states the decrease comes at a time of a decrease in alcohol consumption among adolescents and an increase in mental health issues.
A Hangover Arrives After Social Times
When forgetfulness creeps in and a drinking session lasts and lasts, a time of wishing you had stopped sooner often arrives the next day. It's known as "the morning-after" or a hangover. Read a Smithsonian article for timely information about a hangover.