Alcohol binge drinkers

The problems of alcohol dependence and alcoholism are dealt with in Chapter 10. Suffice it to say here that problem drinkers risk numerous psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, and may experience physical withdrawal symptoms. There are also numerous medical problems related to heavy, chronic alcohol consumption these include increased risk of coronary heart disease, liver cirrhosis, impotence and infertility, cancer and stroke (Chapter 10). It is estimated that alcohol plays a part in up to 33,000 deaths per year in the UK (DoH, 2001). Within the last year 1 in 4 adults will have experienced loss of memory following an alcoholic binge, injured themselves or... 

Middle school and high school students consume about 1.1 billion cans of beer each year, i In one recent month, half of the 2.8 million high school students had had a drink, and in one two-week period, about 30 percent of high school seniors were binge drinkers, having five or more drinks at one sitting. Experts who are concerned about alcohol abuse say it is the number-one drug problem. 

Alcoholism may not depend on the amount of alcohol consumed, but on the way an individual drinks and the effect alcohol has on the person. .— Many young people drink to get drunk. They may drink heavily only on the weekends and think there is no problem, even though falling grades and antisocial behavior are common for binge drinkers. 

A safe amount of alcohol consumption for hypertensive patients who are light drinkers (1-2 drinks per occasion and <14 drinks per week) has not been determined. Factors to consider are a personal history of ischemic heart disease, a history of binge drinking, or a family history of alcoholism or of cerebrovascular accident. Hypertensive patients with any of these risk factors should abstain from alcohol use. 

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