Binge Drinking: Cognitive and Socioemotional

Binge Drinking: Cognitive and Socioemotional Development in Middle Adulthood

What is binge drinking?

'Everybody does it.' If all of your friends, or everyone at a party, is having a few beers, it's easy to miss the signs that your alcohol use is getting out of control. Binge drinking may be less than you think. Technically, binge drinking is defined as drinking four bottles of beer, one bottle of wine or six servings of hard alcohol on a single occasion (Yang et al. 1006, p.1). Blacking out, needing to have a drink to relax after work or on the weekends are some of the other potential warning flags that your drinking has become a problem.

Why does it matter how much I drink?

Binge drinking is associated with higher rates of heart disease and cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as hypertension. Binge drinkers are more likely to drink and drive, and are more likely to be injured while working due to the safety hazards of working with machinery because of their impaired judgment (Yang et al. 1006, p.2). Just like teens, alcohol consumption can get in the way of fulfilling important life and social obligations.

I'm not a kid anymore, I'm over 21 -- why should I worry?

Adults are just as much at risk from the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption as teenagers. Adults are under a great deal of stress today. The demands of work and family can make a frantic employee or parent want to reach for an easy way to relax and unwind. Today, adults are under more stress than ever, given the uncertainties of the economy. But excessive drinking creates more problems -- it doesn't solve them. And for parents, it sets a bad example for their children and teens.

What should I do if I think my alcohol use is getting out of control?

Many resources exist, including Alcoholics Anonymous and other support groups. Help is out there -- often for free.

Memo to employers:

Binge drinking, whether it is in college, after football games, or at private parties, can begin as a group activity. Although alcohol is an individual affliction, the fact that so many individuals as a group have tested positive for alcohol abuse at the workplace indicates a strong likelihood that a culture of addiction has taken hold. De-normalizing the behavior is an essential first step in reducing employee consumption -- employees must realize they 'have a problem' in order to feel motivated to seek help. Denial and acceptance of drunkenness as a normal state is part of the culture of alcoholism, and fosters individual alcohol abuse.

Management must support employee's willingness to seek treatment. Alcoholism must be treated as a disease or employees will hide in shame, fearing sanctions and job loss. Having Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on premises after and before work; posting signs directing employees to AA meetings in the community; making pamphlets available on alcohol treatment and information; and even having treatment specialists to come to speak to employees during work hours are important steps in raising awareness. It also shows employees do not need to choose between their jobs and seeking treatment for their disease.

The problem of alcohol abuse should also be addressed in our periodic safety drills, given the risk alcohol can pose to employee welfare when workers are operating machinery. Workers must understand that when they drink on the job they put everyone at risk -- their own lives and the lives of the fellow employees.