Binge Drinking... Silly Standards?

[aceinyerface]

This report came out today http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/10/cdc-report-binge-drinking-rates-in-us-alarming/

Binge drinking is getting your blood alcohol level over .08% or about 5 drinks per man/ 4 drinks per woman. http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm

But their measure of a drink is very low.

12oz beer= 5oz wine= 1 jigger liquor= 1 drink.

So 2 fat whiskey doubles is binge drinking. With 16 oz wine glasses, a touch over half the glass is 2 drinks. A 12oz margarita is 2-4 drinks.

Literally EVERYONE that I know is a binge drinker.

Standard for "binge drinking" too low?

And, what does "implement proven measures" mean?

 

[Earcutter]

LOL – Sometimes scientists forget we are people!

 

[doug1066]

By that standard, I am always binge drinking.

 

[TonyH]

We say this is nuts, but what is a serving size of anything? A serving of Oreo's is what? Three cookies? But nobody I know eats just 2-3 Oreo's and we wonder why we're fat. Drinking is the same. Those drink standards have been in place for years and years, so it's not like the quantity dropped. It's always been the 12oz/5oz/1os ratio. Sure, two fat doubles doesn't sound like a lot, but what about five beers? Where do you cross the line from being social to binging, or from having a snack to pigging out? Moderation is something we've been lacking for a long time, and it's not really getting any better, generally speaking.

 

[bookwormwendy]

More than one drink and I get a migraine. Don't ask me. LOL I always thought binge drinking was drinking until you couldn't put one foot in front of the other and you were everyone eleses entertainment. Shows what I know.

 

[aceinyerface]

Sure, two fat doubles doesn't sound like a lot, but what about five beers?

5 beers sounds like I cracked the first one in pre game and it is about half time.

 

[BlackBard]

Denial is always easy to anyone who abuses something, whether it is alcohol, food or other people. These standards for defining alcohol abuse have been established for a very long time. I have personally abused alcohol many, many times in the past. The fact that I enjoyed it, and most of my friends did the same, does not alter any of the facts.

I just realized that what I wrote above sounds like I have regrets or feel guilt for my past behavior. I don't. But, I do realize that I may not have always made the best choices.

 

[Jim]

Its not how much alcohol is in you, but how much of you is in the alcohol.

 

[letterk]

Yup. I rememeber being taught those drink measurement standards 20 years ago. And it's what I still consider a "drink".

 

[galopede]

Typical. America stealing our ideas again!

 

[global_dev]

so the period is 2 hours... hmmm... hard to say... it seems a bit low for a 200+ guy, but not for a 130 lb guy soaking wet. haven't you seen friends not able to handle their alcohol after a few drinks and always been amazed how drunk they are? i drink in a style which includes a lot of salted or smoked food and straight hard alcohol.

i guess they aim low to confer a point.

 

[Alraz]

I remember my surprise the first time I took the AA test.

Al raz.

 

[luvmysuper]

No debate about the long time measurement of what a standard "drink" in the U.S. is (it is different in other locations).
The difficulty is the following;
"Binge drinking is defined by the CDC as consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women on a single occasion."
A typical Dictionary definition is; binge drinking n (Medicine) the practice of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol regularly

The changing of the meaning of the term "Binge Drinking" from what it traditionally, and colloquially meant as excessive drinking, over an extended period, with the intent to get grossly intoxicated to this new definition is what is disturbing.

There has been talk of the 0.08% blood alcohol level as opposed to some arbitrarily chosen "number of drinks", but no one group in the medical field seems to be able to agree with another.

The International Center for Alcohol Policies has a very interesting set of articles
http://www.icap.org/PolicyIssues/ExtremeDrinking/KeyFactsandIssues/tabid/131/Default.aspx

Where they say in part:

Drinking patterns associated with heavy drinking carry with them potential for social and physiological harm (see ICAP Health Briefings). One such pattern, involving rapid heavy drinking to intoxication is extreme drinking, also referred to in the literature as “binge” or “heavy episodic” drinking.

• Intoxication: Excessive or heavy drinking and its physiological effects.
• Motivation: The clear presence of intent and a directed quest for some degree of altered state of consciousness or loss of control (albeit neither unbridled nor limitless).

There has been a lack of consensus on the definition of other terms, such as “binge,” used to describe this drinking pattern.

• The clinical definition of "a binge" is characterized by the consumption of alcohol to intoxication, usually a solitary and self-destructive activity lasting up to several days and involving a loss of control.
• Epidemiological definitions have relied on measurements of quantity, setting the threshold at 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more for women per occasion.

Note here the difference - between the Clinical definition and the Epidemiological one. For those who don't care to look up the difference, Epidemiology is the studies done on issues related to health, and Clinical is relating to the observation and treatment of patients rather than laboratory studies.

This seems to me to be another attempt by some who would try to classify behavior which they disapprove of in such a way as to indicate that anyone who participates in it is a menace to themselves and to society.

 

[shaveitoff]

Binge drinker sounds like a harsh label, but it looks like a good night out with your friends qualifies as a session of binge drinking. No doubt I qualify as a binge drinker. I think if you don't binge too often you can avoid some of the health risks the article points out (such as high blood pressure). If you binge once a month i don't think you have too much to worry about. If you binge twice or more a week, that's another story. Some of what the CDC says is just common sense. I think the key to their definition is that it's enough to get you intoxicated (0.08 blood alcohol) and this can lead to problems. Some of these have even happened to me e.g. unintentional falls Other of the problems mentioned haven't e.g. unintended pregnancy (whew!)

 

[mmack66]

I was a binge drinker in high school and college. I barely drink anything these days. What does all that mean? Nothing.

 

[Mike H]

Who's up for some vodka eye shots

 

[cb91710]

Its not how much alcohol is in you, but how much of you is in the alcohol.

This.

Getting a buzz (0.08%) is binge drinking?
Maybe if that level is maintained for 6 hours.

0.08% used to be the result of a typical business meeting lunch.

 

[Go West Young Man]

Those are guidelines to help assess long-term behavioral patterns, not hard and fast rules for a single night out...

 

[Walter Sobchak]

5 beers sounds like I cracked the first one in pre game and it is about half time.

So you consider each beer an occasion unto itself. Clever way to duck the binge label.

No debate about the long time measurement of what a standard "drink" in the U.S. is (it is different in other locations).
The difficulty is the following;
"Binge drinking is defined by the CDC as consuming five or more drinks for men and four or more drinks for women on a single occasion."
A typical Dictionary definition is; binge drinking n (Medicine) the practice of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol regularly

The changing of the meaning of the term "Binge Drinking" from what it traditionally, and colloquially meant as excessive drinking, over an extended period, with the intent to get grossly intoxicated to this new definition is what is disturbing.

There has been talk of the 0.08% blood alcohol level as opposed to some arbitrarily chosen "number of drinks", but no one group in the medical field seems to be able to agree with another...

...This seems to me to be another attempt by some who would try to classify behavior which they disapprove of in such a way as to indicate that anyone who participates in it is a menace to themselves and to society.

I agree wholeheartedly there.

It's worth noting the negative connotations and inherent morbidness of the word "binge".

 

[aceinyerface]

So you consider each beer an occasion unto itself. Clever way to duck the binge label.

Not ducking anything, by their standards I unapologetically binge drink. But, if EVERYONE is a "binge drinker" what is there left for those who drink to incapacitation? Dean Wormer's infamous Double secret binge drinking?

Or...

Is the bar set too low for applying that title.

I think that if you can order one 32oz daiquiri, finish it before it melts and qualify as a binge drinker, it is set a little low.