Binge drinking – not in your best interest

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Your buddy just accused you of being a binge drinker.

Whatever. You're too young and special to be a binge drinker.

Sure, you've been drinking for the past two days, but last week was rough and Saturday and Sunday are days off - right? And sure, you did pass out a couple of times, but that was just your body resting up for the next box of wine.

Besides, what exactly is a binge drinker? For you old guys, think of the movie, "National Lampoon's Animal House." For the younger crowd, think "The Hangover."

One definition of binge drinking, originally published in the "Journal of Studies on Alcohol" and used by the Air Force, is consuming five or more drinks in a row at one sitting for men, and four or more drinks for women.

A drink is defined as one-half ounce of absolute alcohol, the amount found in one 12-ounce beer, one five-ounce glass of wine or one and one-half ounces of liquor.

Another definition of binge drinking, also from the "Journal of Studies on Alcohol," is drinking for an extended period of time, typically at least two days. During the binge, the drinker repeatedly becomes intoxicated and gives up his or her usual activities and obligations in order to stay intoxicated.

Sounds like spring break -- especially when you consider that binge drinkers tend to squander money and engage in other harmful behaviors such as fighting or risky sex.

When you consider the hangovers, throwing up, the embarrassing photos on Facebook and all the immediate trouble a drinking binge can cause, why would anyone do it?

The most common reasons are to get drunk, other people are doing it, and to relieve stress.

The best reasons not to binge drink include unintentional injuries like car crashes, falls, burns and almost anything that happens after the phrase, "hold my beer and watch this."

Unfortunately there are also intentional injuries like sexual assault, domestic violence and getting into a fight with someone much, much bigger than you.

And you can suffer alcohol poisoning. That happens when your blood alcohol level gets so high that it affects parts of the brain and nervous system that control breathing, heartbeat and related body functions. You can die because you stop breathing or your heart stops beating, usually while you are unconscious.

From a professional point of view, actions - or lack of actions - you perform while binging can relieve you of money, rank, training opportunities and even your association with the Air Force.

If you think you might have a problem with binge drinking or need more information, contact the Vance Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Clinic, 213-7419.