Have you ever had four or five drinks in over the course of two
hours? If so, you’re part of a modern day epidemic- binge drinking. Binge
drinking is defined by the National Institutes of Health as “a pattern of
drinking that brings blood alcohol concentration levels to 0.08 g/dL”
(“Drinking Levels Defined”). While going off on a drinking binge here and there
may seem harmless, it can result immediately in memory loss, injury, and mood
changes, plus long term mental health issues. This is a spreading epidemic that
affects a wide range of age groups.
History
Drinking began in America whenever colonization began. Rum was an
essential component to the Columbian Exchange during the 15th and 16th
centuries. After the Revolutionary War and the colony’s victory separating them
from Britain, drinking rose due to a rise in nationalism (Hanson). America
started to produce their own alcohol in distilleries, creating a new whiskey
business meanwhile eliminating the country’s own independence on imported rum
(Hanson). Consequently, as the popularity of drinking grew, the opposition to
it grew as well. Temperance associations, groups opposed to the usage of
alcohol, began to pop up all over the states in the early 1800’s (“The
Temperance Movement”). The movement against alcohol consumption had begun.
The temperance movement peaked in 1920, with the 18th Amendment,
and likewise reached the end of it’s life in 1933, with the 21st Amendment. The
18th Amendment “prohibit(ed) the manufacture, transportation, and sale of
intoxicating liquor” (“18th and 21st Amendments”). Thus, the 18th Amendment
swiftly outlawed alcohol, though whether effectively or ineffectively is up for
debate. Alcohol sales became a black market, and organized crime levels rose in
order to distribute and run the operation (“18th and 21st Amendments”). As a result,
the 21st amendment was passed, which repealed prohibition set in the 18th
Amendment. Alcohol was fair game again for Americans.
Binge drinking has been redefined throughout history.
Post-depression, in the 1930’s and 40’s, binge drinking was defined as “an
extended period of heavy drinking, possibly over several days” (Berridge,
Herring and Thom). Today, that definition would probably be associated with
alcoholism rather than binge drinking. The shift from this definition to the
present day definition of binge drinking is hard to pinpoint, but probably
occurred around the 1980’s or 90’s. During this time, heavy alcoholism was
being seen as increasingly unacceptable; it was associated with criminals, had
negative effects on pregnant women, and the list of known health issues was
growing (Berridge, Herring and Thom). These factors caused the change in how
binge drinking is defined.
Effects on Society
The effects of binge drinking on society are widespread. The first
victims of the epidemic are college students. College binge drinking can create
health issues, as well as create long term effects. As expected, students who
frequently binge drink in college are more likely to have alcohol abuse and
dependence issues after college (Jennison). Along with this, students are also
more susceptible to “academic attrition, early departure from college, and less
favorable market outcomes” (1).
Alcohol abuse is the third leading preventable cause of death in
the United States (Naimi). This being said, binge drinking is a big contributor
to alcohol abuse. Drunk driving, a major alcohol-related cause of death, has
been proven in studies to spike as the number of cases of binge drinking
increases (Brewer). Another prevalent alcohol related death is suicide.
Drinking causes users to make impulse and rash decisions. In a case in which
someone under the influence is depressed, alcohol can give them the power to go
through with the suicide that would otherwise be unthinkable in a more stable
state of mind. Other alcohol related deaths include “unintentional
injuries, sudden infant death syndrome, alcohol poisoning, (and)
hypertension...” (Naimi).
Frequent binge drinking can affect the user’s health. While it is
seemingly harmless to partake in binge drinking, the long term effects can be
detrimental. Heavy drinking is known to cause issues with and damage the liver
(“Fact Sheets-Binge Drinking”). Binge drinking also takes its toll
neurologically. Alcohol depresses cognition and motor skill abilities in the
brain, meaning that it affects your ability to carry out simple, everyday tasks
(Michelon). With heavy abuse, these effects last long past when the buzz of the
alcohol wears off.
Examples of binge drinking
Binge drinking is not just a statistic you read about on the news;
it claims real lives of everyday people. In February of 2017, binge drinking
took the life of college student Erica Buschick (“Binge Drinking Toll Takes
Another Life”). She was a typical student at Miami University, with career and
educational goals set in place, like any other freshman in college. However,
her goals will never be reached; she died in her dorm room after an extreme
binge drinking spree. She is just one of nearly 2,000 students who die from
binge drinking annually (1). Buschick is not alone in her habits. It was
also reported that “21 underage collegians in Oxford (college town where Miami
University is located) ended up in the hospital” as a result of extreme alcohol
consumption (1). College students, even good ones, are not immune from the effects
of binge drinking.
Binge drinking is not exclusive to just college
aged kids. Kristie Gerrels claims that “alcohol is killing twice as many
middle-aged women as 18 years ago” (Knudson). This is possibly a result of the
growing pressure and stress it takes to be a perfect woman in today’s world;
not only the perfect woman, but the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect
employee. As drinking becomes normal and debatably acceptable coping mechanism
in today’s society, the rate of binge drinking amongst middle-aged women has
doubled (1). This issue is even more pressing amongst women because of how
their body handles alcohol physiologically compared to men (1). Gerrels said, “Women tend to weigh
less than men and, pound for pound, a woman's body contains less water and more
fatty tissue than a man's. Because fatty tissue retains alcohol, alcohol
remains at higher concentrations for longer periods of time in the woman's
body, exposing her brain and organs to more alcohol” (1). This creates a
deadly combination for the modern day woman, looking to throw back a few drinks
after a long day.
Solutions
There is no one
solution or cure to binge drinking. There are, however, many strategies that
can be used to help decrease the amount of people this epidemic affects, to
raise awareness, and to lessen the possible consequences.
Harvard School of Public Health has researched the success of
several strategies to decrease binge drinking. The first strategy they
researched involved better educating servers to prevent drink sales to underage
minors along with inhibiting sales to already intoxicated customers (Mosher and
David). Evidence shows that this strategy has been strongly effective, given
that progress has been shown toward improvements in ID checking of patrons,
according to the study.
Another preventative strategy, which was actually taken in 1984
with Congress’ National Minimum Drinking Age Act, is to raise the minimum age
requirement for drinking (“The 1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act”).
This act put young drinking and it’s long-term effects on the front
lines. It also proved the true gravity of drinking young, as researchers
estimate “that 16,500 young lives were saved between 1975 and 1996 as a result
of this policy change” (Mosher and David). This law was made to prohibit
high-school age and most college aged students from drinking. That specific age
group accounts for a majority of binge drinkers. Despite the law, it is still
possible for kids to underage drink. However, the creation of the National
Minimum Drinking Age Act was a step in the right direction.
Media awareness is another effective strategy. The technique of
counter advertising, which exposes a product, “has been found to have an effect
on attitudes and toward alcohol and intentions to use” (Mosher and David).
While the campaigns and advertising have been proven effective in decreasing
binge drinking, it is unknown how effective they have been in drawing attention
to binge drinking inadvertently in a negative way. One of the cons to
counter advertising is that it puts the issue at hand, in this instance,
alcohol, on the front lines. While this technique will discourage most of the
audience from binge drinking, which is the purpose of the advertisement, it
may encourage others. Teenagers seeing these counter advertisements may see to
it that they drink as a challenge or act of defiance to society, their parents,
and so on.
Harvard College
Alcohol Study suggests binge drinking is strongly influenced by environment and
surroundings (Kiewra). Instead of finding ways to change laws or solve binge
drinking, the answer may lie in simply enforcing our existing laws and carrying
out appropriate consequences. Colleges with fewer drinking problems reportedly
had “stronger enforcement of (drinking-age) laws”, “fewer alcohol outlets”,
“more laws controlling high-volume sales (drinks served in pitchers, fish
bowls, boots, buckets; limits on so-called happy hours)”, and “limits on
irresponsible marketing practices (e.g., prohibit 25-cent beers,
all-you-can-drink specials, and ‘ladies night,’ when women drink for free)”
(1). All of this, in turn, suggests that schools with higher drinking rates
have characteristics opposite to those previously mentioned. The study reports
that “party schools” usually have a large Greek life, Division 1 athletics, and
are known for their high rate of drinking from previous alumni (1). When a
student attends school in these conditions, strategies like media awareness
will be ineffective. Despite efforts to discourage drinking, if a party scene
and a history of drinking is surrounding the student, they will most likely binge
drink in spite of other efforts to stop it. This study shows environment is
perhaps one of the most important factors in preventing binge drinking. The
study could be applicable in environments besides college; for example, in
homes where parents drank frequently, the kids are more likely to follow suit.
Camus and Absurdity
Camus deeply believed that life had no meaning, and to spend
one’s whole life looking for meaning in people and in things is absurd in
itself (Maguire). On a side note, binge drinking is often a response to
anxiety, stress, and/or depression (English). Anxiety, stress, and depression
can often stem from the struggle to find meaning in one’s own life. So, it
could be said that binge drinking often stems from the roots of Camus’ very own
struggles; the meaningless and absurdity of life.
Albert Camus probably had his own views on binge drinking,
considering he lived 1913-1960, during prohibition and its repeal. It would be
easy to assume that Camus would support binge drinker, and perhaps even be a
binge drinker himself. Binge drinking sprees would serve as an escape from the
endless questions regarding life that Camus had asked, and not found the answer
to. However, if one were to dig into Camus’ past and relationships, they might
think otherwise. Camus met his first and only wife when she was fifteen, and
already addicted to morphine (Lea). The two married in 1934, in which Camus
thought Simone would “settle down, get off the drugs and tone down her more
eccentric behavior” (1). The two eventually separated, and he never remarried
(1). It is inferable that because someone who played such an important and
large role in Camus’ life suffered from addiction, that Camus would feel
resentful towards binge drinking rather than rejoice from the feeling that
comes from it.
Binge drinking has come a long way from where it began, a fact
that Camus would assumedly be proud of. Camus, while he did think life was
absurd, did not let this deter him from living it. Binge drinking is an
epidemic that deters people from living and feeling their lives properly. Binge
drinking sprees vary from harmless fun to a way to kill pain and emotion, at
which point it becomes dangerous. Camus would find drinking and putting one’s
life at risk as absurd, and be pleased with the progress that has been done to
diminish binge drinking and it’s fatalities.
Conclusion
Binging is commonly associated with
typically harmless things such as binge watching one’s favorite television
show, shopping, or eating. Although these may only affect your wallet and your
stomach, binge drinking can be potentially deadly, and is not to be taken
lightly. It is an epidemic that can affect anyone, not only potentially causing
long term mental health issues but immediate memory loss, injury, or even
death. Before you go on your next drinking spree, think of the college students
who have died in freak accidents from drinking, think of the solutions think of
the consequences and who you are affecting, and think of the absurdity of it
all; is it worth it?
Works
Cited
Berridge,
Virginia, Rachel Herring, and Betsy Thom. "Binge Drinking: A Confused
Concept and Its Contemporary
History." Social History of Medicine. Oxford University Press, Dec.
2009. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.
Brewer, R. D.
"Binge Drinking and Drunken Driving." Choose Responsibility.
N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
"Drinking
Levels Defined." National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services,
n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2017.
English, Nick. "Why We Binge." Greatist.
Greatist, 29 Dec. 2016. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
"Fact
Sheets - Binge Drinking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 16 Oct. 2015. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Hanson,
Ph.D. Prof. David J. "World Alcohol and Drinking History Timeline: Beer,
Wine & Liquor (Distilled
Spirits)." Alcohol Problems & Solutions. N.p., 14 Feb. 2017.
Web. 20 Feb. 2017.
History.com
Staff. "18th and 21st Amendments." History.com. A&E
Television Networks, 2010. Web.
06 Mar. 2017.
Jennison,
Karen M. "The Short‐Term
Effects and Unintended Long‐Term
Consequences of Binge Drinking in
College: A 10‐Year Follow‐Up Study." The
American Journal of Drug and Alcohol
Abuse. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Kiewra, Karin. "Binge Drinking." News. Harvard, 19 Feb. 2014.
Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
Knudson,
Pamela. "Fatal Attraction: For Women, the Lure of Alcohol Is
Becoming..." Grand Forks
Herald. N.p., 05 Mar. 2017. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Lea, Simon. "Camus Algeria Years." Albert Camus Biography. N.p., 2013. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
Maguire, Laura. "Camus and
Absurdity." Philosophy Talk. N.p., 28 Feb. 2015. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
Michelon,
Pascale. "What Are Cognitive Abilities and Skills, and How to Boost Them?"SharpBrains. N.p., 04 Jan.
2016. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
Mosher, James E., and David H. Jernigan.
"Strategies to Reduce College & Underge Binge Drinking." Strategies to Reduce College &
Underge Binge Drinking. American Medical Association,
n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2017.
MPH,
Timothy S. Naimi MD. "Binge Drinking Among US Adults." JAMA.
American Medical Association, 01 Jan.
2003. Web. 13 Mar. 2017.
"The
Temperance Movement." The Temperance Movement. N.p., n.d. Web. 06
Mar. 2017.
"The
1984 National Minimum Drinking Age Act." National Institutes of Health.
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
Tribune,
Chicago. "Binge Drinking Toll Takes Another Life." Lake County
News-Sun. N.p., 17 Feb. 2017. Web.
13 Mar. 2017.
No comments:
Post a Comment