A startling study recently conducted has shown that binge drinking in teenagers is on the increase and seems to be the latest addiction when it comes to teenagers.

In a recent survey on teenagers in the US over 45% of those attending college and a third of seniors in high school admitted to binge drinking on at least one occasion during the previous two weeks of being asked. The problem is not just confined to the US, binge drinking in teenagers in a wide spread occurrence around the world and is increasingly becoming a problem.

Binge drinking is the drinking of more than 5 alcoholic drinks following one another on a single occasion and it has been reported by the National centre for addiction and substance abuse that more than five million high school students are reported to binge drink at least once a month and this figure is on the increase.

While it seems that drug abuse is on the decline in teenagers of high school age, this is being replaced by the need for alcohol and in particular binge drinking. This is particularly worrying as binge drinking is well known for the effects of boosting drink related accidents in teenagers particularly with road accidents. Even more worryingly considering that the top four causes of death among teenagers are road accidents, homicide, suicide and drowning in which alcohol has played a role and is usually the main factor in those under the age of 20.

One of the main reasons for the increase and addiction to binge drinking in teenagers is that alcohol can be bought inexpensively when compared to drugs. Teenagers admit that getting hold of alcohol is far easier than it was 5 years ago and when compared to other beverages such as soft drinks, alcohol and in particular beer when bought in kegs, works out cheaper and of course is the mainstay of many college and now teenage parties.

Along with this advertising plays a role in encouraging the younger generation to binge drink, bars promise happy hours where beer and alcohol is often half price or two for one within a designated period thus encouraging the person to consume it rapidly during a short space of time.

Alcohol causes many serious problems besides many deaths every year and underage drinking of course is also illegal. Binge drinking in particular can be deadlier than drinking smaller regular amounts over longer periods of time due to the sheer amount of alcohol that courses through the system and binge drinking can become a serious problem without you even realising you have become addicted to binge drinking and alcohol.

The biggest problem with binge drinking in teenagers is that the teenager’s brain is still developing and it is during the teenage years that the biggest changes are made to two important areas within the brain. These two areas are responsible for the persons motivation, impulse behaviour and addiction, alcohol contains a toxin which is poisonous and with excessive alcohol use such as binge drinking the brain is prevented from working correctly and over the long term this can lead to a variety of problems including memory problems, difficulty with balance and can have a serious affect on the teenagers learning abilities.

Alcohol is one substance that can be bought anywhere in the world at almost anytime, night or day yet alcohol is responsible for more deaths than all the other drugs put together. Alcohol is a hypnotic drug that depresses the body’s central nervous system, most adults will admit to drinking on a social basis and enjoying doing so but statistics have shown that about 1 in 5 men and 1 in seven women drink more than is safe and recommended to maintain good health.

What are the effects of alcohol?

The effects alcohol has on a person will depend greatly on the person constitution, how much they drink and how fast they drink but the overall effects that alcohol produces are:

• Slurred speech
• Loss of coordination and balance
• Unsteady on the feet when trying to walk or even when standing
• Impaired judgment and lack of attention
• Drowsiness or sleep

Drinking alcohol is relatively small doses every now and again is generally fine and can relax a person and help them have an enjoyable evening with friends, while drinking in large amounts leads to un-coordination bad decision making and drowsiness.

The symptoms of alcoholism

When someone has gone past just enjoying a quiet drink every now and again with friends and has become addicted to alcohol they will have symptoms such as:

• Developing a strong compulsion to have alcohol
• Have a drink first thing in the morning to ease the pains of an hangover
• Not being able to control how much they drink or how often they have to have a drink
• They will organise their lifestyle around drinking
• They begin to drink more and more often in the home
• They begin to lie to their partners, relatives and friends
• They will beg, borrow or steal to get money for a drink
• Make excuses for their drinking such as having a hard day at work

If you do any of the following on a regular basis then this could indicate that you do have a problem with alcohol and could be becoming addicted to it and it may be in your best interest to consult your Doctor about your drinking habits.

• Have a drink 4 or more times a week
• Have 5 or more alcoholic drinks on the days you do drink
• If you ever feel you are not able to stop drinking once you have started
• If you need a alcoholic drink first thing in the morning after a particularly heavy drinking session
• If you regularly forget what happened the night before after drinking
• If a friend or relative has ever voiced their concern about how much you drink and asked you to cut down.