Why You Should Stop Binge Drinking

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsLow-Risk Drinking GuidelinesDefining Binge and Heavy DrinkingUnderstanding the RisksCould You Have a Problem?Next in Your Relationship With Alcohol GuideWhat Is a Problem Drinker?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Low-Risk Drinking Guidelines

Defining Binge and Heavy Drinking

Understanding the Risks

Could You Have a Problem?

Next in Your Relationship With Alcohol Guide

If you regularly drink more than the recommended guidelines for alcohol consumption, you may be wondering what exactly are the risks. What’s the harm in heavy or binge drinking?

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Therecommended guidelinesfor low-risk drinking is four or fewer drinks a day for men and no more than 14 drinks a week. For women, it’s three or fewer drinks a day and no more than seven drinks per week.

If you drink less than the above-recommended amounts, your level of drinking is considered in the “low-risk” category. Still, you may be thinking, “No one drinks that small amount of alcohol. Anyone who drinks alcohol drinks more than that.”

According to the NIAAA:

The NIAAA defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking alcohol that brings blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 percent (or 0.08 grams of alcohol per deciliter) or higher. For a typical adult, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks (male), or four or more drinks (female), in about two hours, on at least one day in the past month.

Heavy drinking is defined as having five or more episodes of binge drinking in the past month. Heavy or “risky” drinking also involves drinking more than 14 drinks a week (for men) and more than seven drinks a week (for women).

Binge DrinkingMen: 5 or more drinks, in about 2 hoursWomen: 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hoursHeavy DrinkingMen: 5 drinks or more per day, or more than 14 drinks a weekWomen: 4 drinks or more per day, or more than 7 drinks a week

Binge DrinkingMen: 5 or more drinks, in about 2 hoursWomen: 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours

Men: 5 or more drinks, in about 2 hours

Women: 4 or more drinks, in about 2 hours

Heavy DrinkingMen: 5 drinks or more per day, or more than 14 drinks a weekWomen: 4 drinks or more per day, or more than 7 drinks a week

Men: 5 drinks or more per day, or more than 14 drinks a week

Women: 4 drinks or more per day, or more than 7 drinks a week

The problem, especially for young drinkers, is that drinking at that level can cause a long list of physical and cognitive problems and increase your risk of becoming a victim of injury, violence, or sexual assault.

Alcohol Use Disorder

If you are a heavy drinker, the first risk that you face is developing analcohol use disorder(AUD).

Generally, about 25% of people who drink at higher than the recommended guidelines will develop problems with alcohol. Only 2% of people who drink at the low-risk level are ever diagnosed with an AUD, according to the NIAAA.

If you develop an AUD, you also run the risk of developing other personal problems and negative consequences, such as losing your driver’s license, losing your job, and having problems with relationships.

What Is Alcohol Use Disorder?

Health Problems

Binge drinkers, especially young binge drinkers, face a greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.

Heavy drinking has also been shown to cause or contribute to the following health conditions:

Drinking too much can also make managing other health problems and conditions more difficult, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and others.

Brain Damage

High-resolution images of the brain have revealed that binge drinking causes some visible, physical changes to the brain. The more drinks you have, the more your pre-frontal cortex is thinned, impacting cognitive, emotional, and social functioning.

If you stop binge drinking, you may find that your ability to pay attention, plan, make decisions, process emotions, and control your impulses will improve.

How Alcohol Compounds Its Damage to the Brain

Verbal Learning Skills

If you are a student, binge drinking can stand in your way of academic success for a multitude of reasons, including being too hungover to attend morning classes and problems with next-day learning after going on a binge.

For example, binge drinkers have been found to have problems with verbal learning skills. You may even find your ability to learn new verbal information improves if you cut down on the number of drinks you have.

Decision Making

If you started binge drinking early in life (before age 15), it’s possible that your decision-making skills have been affected.

In fact, research shows that young binge drinkers have about the same decision-making problems as people with a severe AUD. If you quit binge drinking, chances are those skills will begin to improve immediately.

The Link Between Drinking Age and Alcoholism

Attention and Memory

Cut down on your drinking and you may find that you will be able to better distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information, complete tasks more efficiently, spend less effort trying to pay attention, and have less problem completing tasks.

Why You Should Stop Binge Drinking

Mood and Cognitive Performance

Research has found that binge drinkers report less-positive moods than non-binge drinkers. Binge drinking is associated with negative and depressive moods.

Sexual Assault

Those who binge drink are much more likely to participate in risky sexual behavior, including not using condoms, and therefore increase their risks for sexually-related problems.

If you avoid binge drinking you can greatly reduce your risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, having an unwanted pregnancy, or being sexually assaulted.

Injury and Violence

A large-scale study of emergency room patients revealed that young binge drinkers were more likely to be injured than even long-term, heavy-drinking alcoholics.

The Link Between Alcohol and Aggression

Birth Defects

It is not known ifanyamount of alcohol is safe to drink while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, it is recommended that you do not drink at all.

If you drink and it is possible that you could become pregnant, frequent home pregnancy testing can help protect your child from prenatal alcohol exposure.

The Benefits of Quitting Alcohol

Financial Consequences

If you stop binge drinking, not only will you save money on alcohol purchases, but in the long run you will miss fewer days of work, pay less for healthcare costs, pay fewer fines and fees, have fewerarrestsand accidents, pay less for insurance and be more likely to keep your job, compared to those who continue to binge drink.

If you go out with friends or co-workers during the week and drink five or more drinks (four for women) and you also drink heavily one night during the weekend, you may need to reconsider yourrelationship with alcohol. At this point, you may have even experienced some of the negative effects outlined above.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

Your first step may be to try to cut down or quit on your own. If you’re having trouble, or experiencing symptoms of withdrawal, don’t wait to get help. While there’s no cure for an AUD, there are a lot of effective treatments, including medication, behavioral therapy, and online and community-based support groups.

9 Tips for Cutting Back on Drinking

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

If you or a loved one are struggling with substance use or addiction, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat1-800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.

For more mental health resources, see ourNational Helpline Database.

12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol Facts and Statistics.National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Piano MR, Burke L, Kang M, Phillips SA.Effects of Repeated Binge Drinking on Blood Pressure Levels and Other Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Young Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7(13). doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.008733Squeglia LM, Jacobus J, Tapert SF.The effect of alcohol use on human adolescent brain structures and systems.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:501-10. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00028-8Cservenka A, Brumback T.The burden of binge and heavy drinking on the brain: effects on adolescent and young adult neural structure and function.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1111. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01111Goudriaan AE, Grekin ER, Sher KJ.Decision making and binge drinking: a longitudinal study.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(6):928-38. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00378.xGeisner IM, Mallett K, Kilmer JR.An examination of depressive symptoms and drinking patterns in first year college students.Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2012;33(5):280-7. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2011.653036Brown JL, Gause NK, Northern N.The association between alcohol and sexual risk behaviors among college students: a review.Curr Addict Rep. 2016;3(4):349-355. doi:10.1007/s40429-016-0125-8Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J, et al.Multi-level analysis of alcohol-related injury among emergency department patients: a cross-national study.Addiction. 2005;100(12):1840-50. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01257.xSacco P, Bright CL, Jun HJ, Stapleton LM.Developmental relations between alcohol and aggressive behavior among adolescents: neighborhood and sociodemographic correlates.Int J Ment Health Addict. 2015;13(5):603-617. doi:10.1007/s11469-015-9546-1Dávalos ME, Fang H, French MT.Easing the pain of an economic downturn: macroeconomic conditions and excessive alcohol consumption.Health Econ. 2012;21(11):1318-35. doi:10.1002/hec.1788

12 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol Facts and Statistics.National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Piano MR, Burke L, Kang M, Phillips SA.Effects of Repeated Binge Drinking on Blood Pressure Levels and Other Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Young Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7(13). doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.008733Squeglia LM, Jacobus J, Tapert SF.The effect of alcohol use on human adolescent brain structures and systems.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:501-10. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00028-8Cservenka A, Brumback T.The burden of binge and heavy drinking on the brain: effects on adolescent and young adult neural structure and function.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1111. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01111Goudriaan AE, Grekin ER, Sher KJ.Decision making and binge drinking: a longitudinal study.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(6):928-38. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00378.xGeisner IM, Mallett K, Kilmer JR.An examination of depressive symptoms and drinking patterns in first year college students.Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2012;33(5):280-7. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2011.653036Brown JL, Gause NK, Northern N.The association between alcohol and sexual risk behaviors among college students: a review.Curr Addict Rep. 2016;3(4):349-355. doi:10.1007/s40429-016-0125-8Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J, et al.Multi-level analysis of alcohol-related injury among emergency department patients: a cross-national study.Addiction. 2005;100(12):1840-50. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01257.xSacco P, Bright CL, Jun HJ, Stapleton LM.Developmental relations between alcohol and aggressive behavior among adolescents: neighborhood and sociodemographic correlates.Int J Ment Health Addict. 2015;13(5):603-617. doi:10.1007/s11469-015-9546-1Dávalos ME, Fang H, French MT.Easing the pain of an economic downturn: macroeconomic conditions and excessive alcohol consumption.Health Econ. 2012;21(11):1318-35. doi:10.1002/hec.1788

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol Facts and Statistics.National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.Piano MR, Burke L, Kang M, Phillips SA.Effects of Repeated Binge Drinking on Blood Pressure Levels and Other Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Young Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7(13). doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.008733Squeglia LM, Jacobus J, Tapert SF.The effect of alcohol use on human adolescent brain structures and systems.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:501-10. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00028-8Cservenka A, Brumback T.The burden of binge and heavy drinking on the brain: effects on adolescent and young adult neural structure and function.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1111. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01111Goudriaan AE, Grekin ER, Sher KJ.Decision making and binge drinking: a longitudinal study.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(6):928-38. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00378.xGeisner IM, Mallett K, Kilmer JR.An examination of depressive symptoms and drinking patterns in first year college students.Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2012;33(5):280-7. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2011.653036Brown JL, Gause NK, Northern N.The association between alcohol and sexual risk behaviors among college students: a review.Curr Addict Rep. 2016;3(4):349-355. doi:10.1007/s40429-016-0125-8Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J, et al.Multi-level analysis of alcohol-related injury among emergency department patients: a cross-national study.Addiction. 2005;100(12):1840-50. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01257.xSacco P, Bright CL, Jun HJ, Stapleton LM.Developmental relations between alcohol and aggressive behavior among adolescents: neighborhood and sociodemographic correlates.Int J Ment Health Addict. 2015;13(5):603-617. doi:10.1007/s11469-015-9546-1Dávalos ME, Fang H, French MT.Easing the pain of an economic downturn: macroeconomic conditions and excessive alcohol consumption.Health Econ. 2012;21(11):1318-35. doi:10.1002/hec.1788

National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Alcohol Facts and Statistics.

National Institutes of Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.Rethinking Drinking: Alcohol and Your Health.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Binge drinking.

Piano MR, Burke L, Kang M, Phillips SA.Effects of Repeated Binge Drinking on Blood Pressure Levels and Other Cardiovascular Health Metrics in Young Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2014.J Am Heart Assoc. 2018;7(13). doi:10.1161/JAHA.118.008733

Squeglia LM, Jacobus J, Tapert SF.The effect of alcohol use on human adolescent brain structures and systems.Handb Clin Neurol. 2014;125:501-10. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-62619-6.00028-8

Cservenka A, Brumback T.The burden of binge and heavy drinking on the brain: effects on adolescent and young adult neural structure and function.Front Psychol. 2017;8:1111. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01111

Goudriaan AE, Grekin ER, Sher KJ.Decision making and binge drinking: a longitudinal study.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007;31(6):928-38. doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00378.x

Geisner IM, Mallett K, Kilmer JR.An examination of depressive symptoms and drinking patterns in first year college students.Issues Ment Health Nurs. 2012;33(5):280-7. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840.2011.653036

Brown JL, Gause NK, Northern N.The association between alcohol and sexual risk behaviors among college students: a review.Curr Addict Rep. 2016;3(4):349-355. doi:10.1007/s40429-016-0125-8

Cherpitel CJ, Ye Y, Bond J, et al.Multi-level analysis of alcohol-related injury among emergency department patients: a cross-national study.Addiction. 2005;100(12):1840-50. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01257.x

Sacco P, Bright CL, Jun HJ, Stapleton LM.Developmental relations between alcohol and aggressive behavior among adolescents: neighborhood and sociodemographic correlates.Int J Ment Health Addict. 2015;13(5):603-617. doi:10.1007/s11469-015-9546-1

Dávalos ME, Fang H, French MT.Easing the pain of an economic downturn: macroeconomic conditions and excessive alcohol consumption.Health Econ. 2012;21(11):1318-35. doi:10.1002/hec.1788

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