BINGE DRINKING CAN BE DEADLY
What Is Binge Drinking?
- Drinking for many days in a row.
- Drinking five or more drinks in one sitting.
- Drinking to get drunk.
- A good way to risk getting injured, having unplanned sex, or getting involved in a fight.
- Drinking a "binge" -- a new drink that's a shot of tequila, a shot of rum, a shot of vodka, a shot of whisky...
Answer: b, c, d.
Binge drinking is a concern on the CSUB campus -- and on campuses nationwide. Statistics show that it is very common. Among college freshmen, over half the men and one-third of women are binge drinkers. It's also clear that binge drinking is often related to injury and death.
Here are some ways to prevent risks and problems:
- Understand the risk. National statistics show that:
- Students who binge drink are 2 - 5 times more likely to experience problems from drinking.
- Students who binge drink are twice as likely to die from injuries than non-bingers.
- As many as 300,000 of the nation´s 12 million undergraduates will die from alcohol-related causes while in school.
- Don't become a statistic!
- Plan your drinking. Think about how much you want to drink before you drink. Often people over drink when they didn't intend it.
- Remember that food, mood, and environment affect your susceptibility to alcohol.
- Gauge your level of intoxication. Ask a friend to tell you if you seem to be drinking unsafely.
- Don't ever force anyone to drink, pressure anyone else to drink, or "spike" drinks. This is not only rude, it can be harmful, even fatal.
- Be aware that drinking games put you at risk for binge drinking, since most games encourage drinking a lot in a short period of time.
What You Can Do
Know what to do in an alcohol emergency. If you're with someone who has had too much to drink:
- Don't let the person drink more alcohol.
- Help the person avoid dangerous situations (driving, wandering outside, sexual encounters).
- If unconscious, put the person on his/her side to prevent choking if vomiting occurs.
- If unconscious, monitor the person's breathing, body temperature, and heart rate. If breathing and heart rate slow, body temperature drops, or the person is non-responsive, call an ambulance.
- Be aware that binging -- while not necessarily alcoholic -- is certainly abuse. If you know someone, or are someone who binges and experiences problems, [ranging from blackouts (memory loss), to physical harm] ask for an expert, non-judgmental assessment of drinking patterns.
CSUB SHS (661) 654-2394 ED 12/05