Young people have a tendency to find themselves involved in a dangerous activity or pastime. In a way, it’s part of what it means to be young. However, there is certainly a point when youthful shenanigans pass the line into something that puts the health of the body at far too much risk to be acceptable. One such case, which is extremely popular with college and high school students nowadays, is binge drinking, the action of consuming multiple drinks in a row for the purpose of getting extremely drunk. This is notably different from typical alcoholism, because the individuals who partake in binge drinking do not consume alcohol every day. However, when they do drink, it is in dangerously large amounts (usually 5 drinks, or more). While it may seem like it is just a practice to let loose at a party, there are very real dangers that come along with the activity of binge drinking…
Brain development issues
Despite the fact that those who participate in binge drinking are not consuming alcohol every day, and may only do so a couple times a month, there are still issues that can arise with brain development. What is especially troubling about this is that the demographic that partakes in binge drinking tends to skew towards those that are fairly young. Since the brain is often developing until the age of 25, it can be quite disastrous to struggle with the effects of massive alcohol consumption. Although drinking alcohol won’t necessarily bring about brain damage, the alcohol poisoning that can be brought about by binge drinking can produce a negative effect on brain development.
Leads to long term addiction
Again, it’s important to stress that binge drinking is not the equivalent of alcohol addiction. Rather than being affected by addictive impulses, binge drinking is typically driven by social factors and an overinflated romanticism of the party scene. However, it should also be noted that the risk of alcohol addiction is increased in individuals who partake in binge drinking, even if infrequently. A young person can easily associate the benefits of socializing with alcohol consumption, if they frequently binge drink whenever going out with their friends. This can lead to cravings and positive associations with alcohol consumption, which can lead to addiction.
Increased risk of injury
One continuous association with alcohol is the side effects that include while you are intoxicated. This can include clumsiness, loss of control, reduced social inhibitions, and reduced awareness. These sorts of attributes don’t necessarily equate to a healthy, balanced person for the night. Each of these side effects greatly increases the risk of injury that may be experienced, due to mixing other activities with alcohol.