Binge Drinking

Spring break season is upon us. All of the stores are now stocked with sunscreen, the tanning salons are booked up, and the liquor stores sales are on the rise. Spring Break often becomes a binge fest for many underage teen drinkers and college students. The definition of binge drinking varies a little bit but overall it is considered to be the consumption of 4-5 drinks within a 2 hour period. Many students admit to drinking 15-18 drinks a day on average during their spring break. A lot of students have figured out that "bar crawling" or "bar hopping" can get very expensive and have turned to pre-drinking before they head out for the evening. Pre-drinking is getting together (usually at someones house) and consuming large amounts of alcohol within a short period of time, sometimes by playing drinking games, to avoid spending too much money on drinks from the bar. Then, one of them often drives to the bar.
Every day/night of Spring Break is filled with the consequences of binge drinking. If you are a college student of legal drinking age, and have been working extremely hard to do well in school, you may feel it is only fair you get a break to party and get away from your stresses for a while. As harmless as it may seem, by binge drinking, statistically you may be putting yourself at risk of more stress and issues.
According to a report from the Annual Review of Public Health, 1,700 U.S. college students die each year from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including vehicle crashes. Nearly 700,000 U.S. students are the victims of booze-induced assaults; and 97,000 students between 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape. The social scars of binge drinking include: unsafe sex (which can carry huge long term issues), suicide attempts, black-outs, drunk driving, vandalism, altercations with police and alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
Many colleges and universities are encouraging students to participate in alternative sober activities. Several have designed programs where students can get involved in local, state, national, and even international service projects. With many travel advisories issued recently by the State Dept. many students have chosen to stay closer to home.
Whether you decide to travel abroad, stay close to home, or participate in alternative programs it is important that you decide BEFORE you go:

• What your drinking limit is going to be, and stick to it.
• You will not drive after drinking, or get in a vehicle with anyone who has been drinking.
• If you are not going to "hook-up" use a buddy system and do not go off by yourself.
• If you intend to "hook-up" make sure you take protection, this may not protect you from some things, but will at least lessen chance of STD's and unwanted pregnancy.
• You will stay away from illegal drug use.
• To help protect yourself, your friends, and others by setting a good example and offering assistance if they are making poor choices.