Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Binge Drinking?SignsHealth EffectsBinge Drinking and Alcohol Use DisorderPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Binge Drinking?
Signs
Health Effects
Binge Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder
Prevention
Binge drinking is a pattern of drinking an amount ofalcohol—beer, wine, liquor, and similar beverages—that brings your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) up to 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (100 milliliters) of blood (0.08 g/dL). This is the amount of alcohol in your system to be considered legally impaired.For most adults, that equates to five drinks for men or four drinks for women within a two-hour period.
While drinking alcohol is normalized socially and is legal above the age of 21 in the United States, it can still have harmful impacts on the body.
In this article, learn more about binge drinking and its health effects.
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What Is Binge Drinking Exactly?
Binge drinking is excessive alcohol consumption on one occasion. The definition of binge drinking, according to the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism (NIAA), is “alcohol consumption that brings the BAC to 0.08 g/dL.”
Naturally, you may wonder how much alcohol you have to drink to get to that point. The answer depends on your sex, age, body mass, metabolism, the type of alcohol, and more.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines binge drinking in adults as:
This is sometimes called the “5+/4+ rule” (5-plus/4-plus rule) of binge drinking.
Binge drinking is also a problem among younger people, in whom it takes less alcohol to reach the same BAC as adults.Among youths (age 9 to 17), binge drinking depends on age and size but is typically considered:
Are There Different Types of Binge Drinking?
There are five distinct types of excessive drinking, which include the following:
Remember that even though alcohol use is normalized in our culture, no amount of alcohol isgoodfor you. The CDC recommends that if you don’t already drink, you shouldn’t start for any reason. If you do drink, do so moderately.
Drinking in moderation is considered to be consuming two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women.
Signs of Binge Drinking
The primary sign of binge drinking is consuming a large amount of alcohol and acting drunk. It is illegal to drive with a BAC of 0.08. It’s also the amount of alcohol associated with symptoms like trouble thinking, slurred speech, problems with walking and movement, and riskier behavior.
Most people who binge drink are not dependent on alcohol.It’s common for binge drinking to occur socially—for example, at a wedding reception, house party, or a night out. This type of drinking behavior is prevalent among college students.
Help for Binge DrinkingIf you or someone you know is struggling with binge drinking, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Help for Binge Drinking
If you or someone you know is struggling with binge drinking, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Binge Drinking Health Effects
Unfortunately, even one night of binge drinking can be dangerous to your health. Binge drinking has both short- and long-termhealth consequences.
Short-Term Effects
Short-term health effectsof binge drinking include:
Long-Term Effects
Binge drinking can also cause long-term health effects, including the following:
Is It Bad to Drink Three Days in a Row?Drinking alcohol three days in a row is not good for you, but it’s not necessarily considered binge drinking either. Whether it’s considered binge drinking will depend on how much alcohol you consume each day and over a week or month.
Is It Bad to Drink Three Days in a Row?
Drinking alcohol three days in a row is not good for you, but it’s not necessarily considered binge drinking either. Whether it’s considered binge drinking will depend on how much alcohol you consume each day and over a week or month.
Binge drinking is not the same thing asalcohol use disorder. Most people who binge drink are not addicted to or dependent on alcohol.However, binge drinking can increase your risk of developing alcohol use disorder.
People with alcohol use disorder frequently binge drink, but they do this on a more regular basis than people who engage in single episodes of binge drinking.
Binge Drinking Prevention
Knowing your limits, including what number of drinks qualifies as binge drinking, is an excellent first step in preventing future binge drinking episodes.
It can also be helpful to identify your binge drinking triggers. Note whether you are more likely to drink in the following scenarios:
Once you know your triggers, it will be easier to avoid them.
It can be challenging (but also helpful) to talk openly about your concerns about binge drinking with trusted friends and family. These people can support you when you say no to an extra drink or ask to hang out in a different environment where you’re less likely to want a drink in hand.
How to Stop Drinking Alcohol: Home Remedies and Complementary Treatments
A Word From Verywell
—KASHIF J. PIRACHA, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Summary
Binge drinking is a type of excessive alcohol consumption that raises the BAC to 0.08 g/dL, the point at which a person is legally impaired. This usually involves drinking five or more drinks for men or four or more for women on a single occasion lasting a few hours.
Even though binge drinking can be a single event, it could still have severe health consequences (e.g., alcohol poisoning, STIs, heart disease) in the short and long term.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Harmful and underage college drinking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Chung T, Creswell KG, Bachrach R, Clark DB, Martin CS.Adolescent binge drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):5-15. PMID: 30557142National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Understanding binge drinking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and public health - frequently asked questions.Patrick ME, Azar B.High-intensity drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):49-55. PMID: 30557148Molina PE, Nelson S.Binge drinking’s effects on the body.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):99-109. PMID: 30557153National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Reduce the proportion of people aged 21 years and over who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑10.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Harmful and underage college drinking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Chung T, Creswell KG, Bachrach R, Clark DB, Martin CS.Adolescent binge drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):5-15. PMID: 30557142National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Understanding binge drinking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and public health - frequently asked questions.Patrick ME, Azar B.High-intensity drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):49-55. PMID: 30557148Molina PE, Nelson S.Binge drinking’s effects on the body.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):99-109. PMID: 30557153National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Reduce the proportion of people aged 21 years and over who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑10.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Harmful and underage college drinking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Chung T, Creswell KG, Bachrach R, Clark DB, Martin CS.Adolescent binge drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):5-15. PMID: 30557142National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Understanding binge drinking.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and public health - frequently asked questions.Patrick ME, Azar B.High-intensity drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):49-55. PMID: 30557148Molina PE, Nelson S.Binge drinking’s effects on the body.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):99-109. PMID: 30557153National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Reduce the proportion of people aged 21 years and over who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑10.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Harmful and underage college drinking.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.
Chung T, Creswell KG, Bachrach R, Clark DB, Martin CS.Adolescent binge drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):5-15. PMID: 30557142
National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Understanding binge drinking.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Alcohol and public health - frequently asked questions.
Patrick ME, Azar B.High-intensity drinking.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):49-55. PMID: 30557148
Molina PE, Nelson S.Binge drinking’s effects on the body.Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):99-109. PMID: 30557153
National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism.Drinking levels defined.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Reduce the proportion of people aged 21 years and over who engaged in binge drinking in the past month — SU‑10.
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