According to gov.uk, binge drinking can be defined as ‘drinking enough on a single occasion to get drunk’, which would be classed as 6+ units for women and 8+ units for men (1).
One unit of alcohol is equivalent to 8g/10ml of pure alcohol (2). As most alcoholic drinks contain more than one unit, many people do not realise that they are officially binge drinking after just a few drinks.
For example, it would only take two large glasses of wine for a woman to be considered binge drinking, and three large glasses for a man. Men who drink cans of beer are binge drinking after four cans, and women after three.
The problem is that the average person can only process one unit of alcohol per hour. When someone consumes too many units in a short period of time (binge drinking), their body cannot keep up with the amount of alcohol in its system.
Keep in mind that the body is already struggling to process alcohol before someone has passed into binge drinking territory.
For example, the average woman is binge drinking when they drink four small glasses of wine. However, each glass of wine contains around 1.5 units, so drinking even the first glass of wine within an hour or less has the potential to damage the body.
Drinking alcohol in general comes with risks, including health problems, dependence and addiction. However, these risks increase significantly when someone is binge drinking.
One short-term consequence of binge drinking is that it can make people more vulnerable to illness and injury. The obvious example of this is hangovers; though they are self-inflicted, they can leave people feeling incredibly weak, anxious and fatigued.
Beyond this, every time you binge drink, you risk damaging your body, even if you don’t normally drink to excess.
Some examples of potential damage include: severe dehydration, high blood pressure, hypoglycaemia, lung infection and irregular heartbeat. This could result in short-term pain or a long-term health condition.
Injuries are extremely common in people who binge drink. When we are under the influence of alcohol, we suffer from impaired cognitive skills, making us more likely to injure ourselves. Alcohol also reduces pain, so injuries can go unnoticed when people are too drunk to feel the symptoms.
Binge drinking can also lead to risky sexual behaviour for the same reasons (impaired cognitive skills).
After a heavy drinking session, people are more likely to have unprotected sex, which could result in unintended pregnancy or a sexually transmitted infection.
Finally, it has been known for people to pass away from alcohol poisoning after just one session of binge drinking.
When there is a significant volume of alcohol in the blood, certain parts of the brain can shut down. This could result in breathing difficulties or cardiac issues, which can lead to death.
Binge drinking over a long period of time can severely damage the brain. We often hear of this affecting young people, as their brains are still developing.
A 2011 study of adolescent binge drinking found that it can affect behavioural functioning and cognitive performance, particularly in young women (7).
Another study found that young binge drinkers performed more poorly in the categories of episodic memory, planning ability and sustained attention than their tee-total counterparts (8).
All binge drinkers can be affected by this, regardless of age. For example, older people are more likely to struggle with memory issues and confusion when they have a history of binge drinking (9).
There are many long-term health conditions that can arise as a result of binge drinking, such as brain damage, liver damage, weakened immune system and various forms of cancer.
Other illnesses can be worsened when the patient has a history of binge drinking. This includes diabetes, ulcers, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.
There are also psychological effects of binge drinking. People who binge drink are more likely to face insomnia, social isolation, depression, anxiety and psychosis.
The criteria for binge drinking is fairly straightforward, which makes it easier to diagnose than many other substance-related conditions.
People who drink more than 6 units (women) or 8 units (men) in one single occasion are binge drinking.
You can sometimes spot that someone is binge drinking by their behaviours around alcohol, such as:
The causes of binge drinking vary widely, but some possible factors include:
Some people have a much harder time knowing their limits than others. They may genuinely not realise that the amount of alcohol they are drinking is excessive, or they may find themselves getting drunk too quickly without intending to.
For example, they may not know that their drink contains a higher volume of alcohol than their usual drink, or they may match their drinking to someone who is much larger than them, not recognising that their body will struggle to process the alcohol more.
Other times, people understand that they are binge drinking, but they aren’t educated on the consequences. This means they continue to binge drink regularly as they only see the short-term effects, so they are blind to the dangerous long-term consequences of this behaviour.
It is much more likely that someone will binge drink when they are able to access alcohol whenever they want to. This could be a case of living near a shop that sells alcohol, being friends with people who regularly drink or always having alcohol in their home.
It goes without saying that these factors do not always result in binge drinking. However, if someone has other reasons to binge drink, and alcohol is easily available to them, they are at a higher risk than average.
We commonly see this in people whose friends engage in binge drinking. There is always an opportunity to get involved, and there may also be peer pressure, which makes it more difficult for the individual to stay away from binge drinking.
As alcohol is a legal substance in the UK, it is much easier to access than most drugs. This is another potential cause of binge drinking, as it means alcohol users can continue their habit without worrying about serious legal issues, or the fear of a loved one discovering that they are drinking.
It could be argued that everyone who is born in the UK is desensitized to alcohol to some extent. Unlike other addictive substances, alcohol is a standard part of life for most people in the UK. It isn’t abnormal to see people drinking to excess, drinking regularly, or drinking around children.
This means many of us don’t see alcohol as a substance to be wary of. From a young age, we see people around us drinking, and we assume it’s a normal thing to do as an adult.
When we are so familiar with a danger, we are less likely to protect ourselves from it. This could be applied to binge drinking – if we view alcohol as low-risk, we won’t be as concerned about the consequences of drinking it in large volumes.
People with mental health conditions are at an increased risk for binge drinking.
Plenty of people who binge drink are desperate to get drunk as soon as possible, so that they can replace any negative feelings with the feeling of being under the influence.
This is even more common in people with poor mental health, as there is often a stronger desire to numb their feelings.
Certain mental health conditions are linked to a higher level of impulsivity (e.g., ADHD, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder). When we are more impulsive, we may pursue binge drinking without stopping to consider the negative effects.
The truth is that plenty of people binge drink and class it as having a healthy relationship with alcohol. This is a classic case of denial; people either choose to ignore their issue, or they cannot cope with accepting the truth of their situation.
When people are in denial about their drinking, it often leads to increased rates of drinking. This may be because they haven’t accepted the risk in what they’re doing or they are compelled to drink more due to feelings of shame.
UK statistics show that men aged between 25-34 are the most likely to have a binge drinking problem (3).
However, binge drinking is an issue that affects people from all different backgrounds in the UK. It’s an issue that has been prevalent for many years, but recent studies have found a spike in unhealthy drinking habits following the pandemic.
Between August-October 2021, 8 million adults in England (18.1% of the adult population) were drinking at an ‘increasing or higher risk’ than they were before the pandemic hit (4).
We do not know how the specific context of this increased drinking; some people may be binge drinking every weekend, and others may have started drinking a few times a week after being tee-total.
However, other statistics tell us that around 23% of men and 15% of women in the UK drink more than the daily recommended limit of alcohol (5). Evidently, daily drinking is a nationwide issue that is closely linked to binge drinking.
As hard as it can be to learn about the negative effects of binge drinking, it’s an essential tool for prevention. Though you may not be able to stop immediately, you may internalise the consequences, which can help you to make more informed decisions when it comes to drinking.
Other tips for preventing binge drinking include:
Below, we outline some myths concerning binge drinking:
People can binge drink without drinking on a daily basis. Even if you only drank once a week, you would be classed as a binge drinker if you consumed alcohol to excess in that time.
You can even be a binge drinker if you rarely drink alcohol but always drink to excess when you do.
It is true that binge drinking is more dangerous when stronger alcoholic drinks are being consumed. However, plenty of people struggle with binge drinking even though they stick to drinks with few units such as alcopops.
Some people manage to binge drink without appearing to be seriously impacted, but they are still damaging their bodies. The way people respond to alcohol outwardly is not always an indication of the severity of their problem.
‘Lightweights’ may be quicker to slur their words, fall over and be forgetful, but this does not mean that they are less affected by binge drinking than someone who appears to be sober.
In fact, it could be the case that the person who can handle their drink better has become tolerant to alcohol, which means they are at an increased risk of developing a physical dependence or addiction.
Below, we outline some FAQs around the topic of binge drinking:
Yes, we can help people who want to stop binge drinking. If you are prepared to get professional treatment for binge drinking, we can discuss your options and arrange for you to be referred.
Binge drinking can be treated with a home detox, a medically-assisted detox at rehab or an outpatient clinic, and therapy. To experiences the benefits of all of these options, you could go to inpatient rehab and pursue a personalised treatment plan to recover from binge drinking.
Pregnant women who engage in heavy alcohol use in the first-trimester risk damaging the development of their baby’s face and brain.
This could lead to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), Alcohol-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder (ARND) and Alcohol-Related Birth Defects (ARBD).
If you are pregnant and you’re dealing with temptation to binge drink, please reach out to us so we can find support for you. Rehab facilities in the UK recognise addiction as a mental health issue, so they are equipped to handle your problem with empathy and sensitivity.
Binge drinking can increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s (10). However, it’s important that this isn’t confused with alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD) (11).
The latter produces symptoms that overlap with dementia, such as poor judgement, impaired decision-making, distractibility, irritability and a lack of motivation.
Either way, people who binge drink are more likely to suffer from cognitive issues as they age.
Binge drinking is separate from addiction as it does not necessarily involve physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. It is possible for someone to struggle with binge drinking without developing an addiction, but the risk of addiction is high.
The longer someone engages in chronic alcohol use on a regular basis, the more likely it is that they will eventually become reliant on alcohol.
Some people believe they can binge drink forever and not end up addicted, but addiction is unpredictable. It should never be dismissed as a serious risk.
If you are currently binge drinking, now is the best time to pursue long-term recovery. The more symptoms you have, the harder it will be to break free from your problem.
What’s more, if you end up developing an addiction, it will be much harder to get sober. The physical and psychological challenges will increase significantly.
[1] Chapter 12: Alcohol https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delivering-better-oral-health-an-evidence-based-toolkit-for-prevention/chapter-12-alcohol#:~:text=Binge%20drinking%20really%20means%20drinking,session)%20%5Bfootnote%2018%5D.
[2] Alcohol units https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calculating-alcohol-units/#:~:text=Units%20are%20a%20simple%20way,can%20process%20in%20an%20hour.
[3] Alcohol Consumption UK https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/research/alcohol-facts-and-data/alcohol-consumption-uk
[4] Millions in UK drinking harmful levels of alcohol at home, experts warn https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/17/millions-in-uk-drinking-harmful-levels-of-alcohol-at-home-experts-warn
[5] A brief history of the UK’s low risk drinking guidelines https://www.ias.org.uk/uploads/pdf/Consumption%20docs/A%20brief%20history%20of%20the%20low%20risk%20drinking%20guidelines.pdf
[6] Alcohol Poisoning Deaths https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/alcohol-poisoning-deaths/index.html#:~:text=Alcohol%20poisoning%20is%20caused%20by,body%20temperature%2C%20resulting%20in%20death.
[7] Adolescent binge drinking linked to abnormal spatial working memory brain activation: differential gender effects https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21762178/
[8] Binge drinking and sex: effects on mood and cognitive function in healthy young volunteers https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15251270/
[9] Facts About Aging and Alcohol https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/facts-about-aging-and-alcohol#:~:text=Drinking%20too%20much%20alcohol%20over,memory%20loss%2C%20and%20mood%20disorders
[10] Alcohol and dementia https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/risk-factors-and-prevention/alcohol#:~:text=Excessive%20alcohol%20consumption%20over%20a,significant%20protection%20against%20developing%20dementia.
[11] Alcohol-related ‘dementia’ https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/types-dementia/alcohol-related-dementia#:~:text=Alcohol%2Drelated%20’dementia’%20is,much%20alcohol%20over%20many%20years.
