The Battle of the Bottle
March 17th 2008 03:22
Signature Tune
Why is binge drinking a concern?
Binge drinking has severe health effects, from brain damage to learning and memory problems. Binge drinkers are also more likely to engage in risk-taking behaviour such as unsafe or unwanted sex, illegal drug taking, vandalism and drink driving. In extreme circumstances, binge drinking can result in coma and death. An increase in violence in Melbourne's CBD - which has resulted in many serious injuries - has also been blamed on binge drinking.
Long-term binge drinking can lead to addiction, cancer, liver problems, heart attack and brain injury. Alcohol is the second biggest contributor to chronic disease in Australia, after smoking. Alcohol abuse also wastes valuable medical resources. Every year, 72,000 Australians are admitted to hospital because of risky alcohol consumption. In Victoria, alcohol-related emergency department admissions have jumped 35% in five years.
The economic impact of alcohol is also significant. In 2004-05, alcohol cost Australia an estimated $15.3 billion a year, through crime, violence, treatment, loss of productivity and premature death.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd believes Australia's binge drinking culture has reached "epidemic proportions". Binge drinking is the dangerous practice of consuming high levels of alcohol, often to "get drunk". Heavy drinking in short periods is increasingly common and socially acceptable among teenagers and young adults.
The National Health and Medical Research Council says there is no safe amount of alcohol for under-ge drinkers. Last year, the council set new safe drinking guidelines for Australian adults, advising them to limit their drinking to two standard drinks a day - a standard drink contains about 10 grams of alcohol. Teenagers and pregnant women are advised to refrain from drinking completely.
As the teenager brain is yet to reach maturity, it is particularly vulnerable to long-term and irreversible brain damage from alcohol. The American Medical Association says adolescents need only drink half as much as adults to suffer learning and memory impairment. Research shows one in every 10 Australian teenagers between 12 and 17 binge drinks every week. Health authorities warn that as the age of "the first drink" plummets to early adolescence, the risk of addiction and severe health problems increases. There are fears the nation could be drinking itself to death, with an average of 10 Australians dying each day from alcohol related causes.
Taken from theage.com.au
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