The NHS definition of binge drinking is drinking heavily in a short space of time to get drunk or feel the effects of alcohol. 

The amount of alcohol someone needs to drink in a session for it to be classed as ‘bingeing’ is less clearly defined but the marker used by the NHS and National Office of Statistics is drinking more than double the daily recommended units of alcohol in one session.  

The Government guidelines state that men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day, and women should not regularly exceed more than two to three units daily.

Binge drinking for men, therefore, is drinking more than eight units of alcohol – or about three pints of strong beer. For women, it’s drinking more than six units of alcohol, equivalent to two large glasses of wine.  

Two large glasses of wine may not seem like very much. But drinking six units of alcohol in a short space of time – an hour, say – will raise your blood alcohol concentration (BAC) and could make you drunk very quickly. Drinking the same amount over several hours, and accompanied by food for example, will not have the same effect on your BAC.

Some studies show that drinking a large amount of alcohol over a short period of time may be significantly worse for your health than frequently drinking small quantities.

Getting very drunk can affect your physical and mental health:

   Accidents and falls are common because being drunk affects your balance and co-ordination. You’re also more likely to suffer head, hand and facial injuries. B.D.  has also been linked to self-harm .

   In extreme cases, you could die. Overdosing on alcohol can stop you breathing or stop your heart, or you could choke on your vomit.

   Nearly a third (29%) of alcohol related deaths are a result of alcohol related accidents. These deaths are more common among 16–34-year-olds.

   B.D. can affect your mood and your memory and in the longer term can lead to serious mental health problems.

More commonly, B.D.  can lead to anti-social, aggressive and violent behaviour.

B.D. is most common among 16–24-year-olds and is more common among men than women. The General Lifestyle Survey 2008 showed that 21% of men and 14% of women drank more than double their recommended units on at least one day in the previous week. However, in the last decade drinking among young British women has increased rapidly.

B.D.  when you’re young can become a habit. Studies have shown that those who drink a lot in their teens and early 20s are up to twice as likely as light drinkers to be drinking too much 25 years later.

 

Even if you don’t drink alcohol every day, you could be one if you regularly drink:

..... to get drunk

..... more than the recommended daily guidelines in a single session

..... quickly

If you find it hard to stop drinking once you have started, you could also have a problem with binge drinking and possibly alcohol dependence.