TEEN TRENDS - BINGE DRINKING

Do you have a son or daughter leaving for college soon?  As a parent, it is hard to let go of our children, but every parent faces the "empty nest" sooner or later.  So, while you are out shopping for supplies for the dormitory, there is an important talk you need to have with your son/daughter.  Binge drinking...

The term “binge” drinking refers to the heavy consumption of five or more alcoholic drinks in a row by males and four or more drinks by females. A unit of alcohol is one standard drink:

• Half a pint of beer - 3-9% alcohol by volume (ABV);
• A small glass of wine (125ml) at 8% ABV;
• A pub measure of liquor (25ml) at 40% ABV;

Despite laws in every State that make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase or possess alcohol, teens report that alcohol is easy to obtain and that many high school and college students drink with one goal in mind – to get drunk. About one-third of high school students and 45% of college students report binge drinking.

*“Highlights of SAMHSA’s 1998 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse include:

• About 10.4 million adolescents ages 12 to 20 reported using alcohol. Of those, 5.1 million were binge drinkers and included 2.3 million heavy drinkers who binged at least five times a month.
• Nearly 9 percent of boys and 7 percent of girls ages 12 to 17 reported binge drinking in the previous month.
• White, non-Hispanic youth ages 12 to 17 reported the highest frequency of binge drinking (9 percent) as compared with 6 percent of Hispanic and 3 percent of black, non-Hispanic youth.
• Binge drinking among youth ages 12 to 17 appears to occur most frequently in the north central region of the United States and in metropolitan areas.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the four leading injury-related causes of death among youths under the age of 20 are motor vehicle crashes, homicides, suicides and drowning. Alcohol is involved in many of these deaths.

WHY DO TEENS BINGE DRINK?

• They drink to get drunk;
• They’re curious;
• They want to know what it’s like to drink alcohol;
• The status associated with drinking;
• They believe it will make them feel good;
• They may look at alcohol as a way to relieve stress;
• Peer pressure.

WHO BINGE DRINKS?

• College students are more likely to binge drink, especially freshmen away from home for the first time;
• If they were binge drinkers in high school, they are three times more likely to binge in college;
• Binge drinkers are more likely to be white, male students;
• Attend school in the northeast part of the country;
• Be associated with fraternities, sororities or athletic activities;
• Live in frat or sorority houses or dorms.

RISKS OF BINGE DRINKING:

• *"Alcohol poisoning – a severe and potentially fatal physical reaction to an alcohol overdose – is the most serious consequence of binge drinking. When excessive amounts of alcohol are consumed, the brain is deprived of oxygen. The struggle to deal with an overdose of alcohol and lack of oxygen will eventually cause the brain to shut down the voluntary functions that regulate breathing and heart rate."
• Symptoms of alcohol poisoning include:
• Vomiting
• Unconsciousness
• Cold, clammy, pale, or bluish skin
• Slow or irregular breathing (less than 8 breaths a minute or 10 or more seconds between breaths)

IF YOU SUSPECT SOMEONE HAS ALCOHOL POISONING, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.

SECONDARY EFFECTS OF BINGE DRINKING:

• Of schools with high binge drinking rates, 34 percent of non-binge drinkers reported being insulted or humiliated by binge drinkers;
• 13 percent reported being pushed, hit, or assaulted;
• 54 percent reported having to take care of a drunken student;
• 68 percent were interrupted while studying;
• 26 percent of women experienced an unwanted sexual advance.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Frequent binge drinkers were eight times more likely than non-binge drinkers to miss a class, fall behind in schoolwork, get hurt or injured, and damage property;
• Nearly one out of every five teenagers (16 percent) has experienced “black out” spells where they could not remember what happened the previous evening because of heavy binge drinking;
• More than 60 percent of college males and almost 50 percent of college females who are frequent binge drinkers report that they drink and drive;
• Binge drinking during college may be associated with mental health disorders, such as compulsiveness, depression, anxiety or early deviant behavior;
• In a national study, 91 percent of females and 78 percent of the males who were frequent binge drinkers considered themselves to be moderate or light drinkers.

TYPES OF TREATMENT:

• Group Counseling - Teens respond very well to group counseling. Individual counseling may be helpful as well, but it can be difficult to get teens to open up in a one-on-one situation.
• Education About Teenage Alcoholism - Education is an extremely important part of the treatment of teenage alcoholism. Teens rarely understand the dangers of drinking alcohol. They need to be educated about the health risks they face when they drink.
• Family Counseling - Family counseling is a crucial part of the treatment for teen alcoholism. Family counseling is geared towards repairing the relationship between parents and teens. Parents and teens need to learn healthy communication skills. Family members need to learn how best to support teens in recovery.
• Medical Treatment - Teens that have been drinking heavily may need to detox. Detoxing should always be done under medical supervision.

We all know that TV and movies glamorize drinking; very seldom do they show any consequences of drinking, so teenagers don't realize how dangerous drinking can be. As parents, we have to talk to our teens, and explain to them that drinking too much alcohol too fast in a very short period of time is like writing their own death certificate. Take it from someone who knows, with teens, you have to be blunt and give them all the facts. This is one discussion you can't afford to put off having with your teen, especially if he/she will be living on campus.

*http://www.ncadi.samhsa.gov/