Binge Drinking

According to the center for disease control defines binge drinking as “a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above” (2013).  For men this would be around five or more drinks and for women four or more drinks in about two hours.

These numbers made me curious if people really knew what was considered binge drinking so I asked around. Many said around seven to ten drink in two hour, some even said fifteen. A symbolic interactionist might explain that binge drinking is happening because people do not know what binge drinking is. Many people also do not know the problems that binge drinking may cause like damages to your health, self-esteem, and unplanned pregnancy. In schools the focus is more on the affects of drugs than alcohol.

The CDC also found that most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent and that it is most common in young adults 18-34. Also that most underage drinkers are binge drinkers (2013). A functionalist might say the reason that young adults drink is to relax and a party and maybe fit in more. College students are especially prone to this because they are thrown into an environment where they no longer have any supervision and where partying is very prevalent.

This video from ABC news describes the dangers of binge drinking and the traditional college spring break. It gives good examples of the different causes and consequences of what can happen when binge drinking. It also gives examples of the different theories like functionalism and how most teens drink to fit in. This video also warns people of the real life consequences of binge drinking. Binge drinking is not an abstract concept, but a real life problem that affects many and has become a college social norm.