Lisabel Ting
Thu, Jun 05, 2008Mind Your Body
Walk down pub-lined Mohamed Sultan Road on any given night and you are likely to come across 'smashed' drinkers struggling to walk straight.
Other young drinkers may already be slumped by the side of the road.
Binge drinking among the young - it refers to high alcohol consumption within a short span to the point of intoxication - is a worldwide problem today.
In Australia, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd earlier this year pledged an A$53.5 million (S$70 million) package to crack down on and reform Australia's young drinkers.
Britain ran a similar campaign four years ago, with sting operations carried out to identify shops which sold alcohol to youngsters under 18.
In Singapore, binge drinking has been the target of Get Your Sexy Back, a youth-led campaign launched late last year to urge responsible alcohol consumption.
While research has shown that moderate drinking, such as one or two glasses of red wine a day, can have health benefits, binge drinking is quite another matter.
A 'binge' is a pattern of drinking alcohol that raises blood alcohol concentration to a very high level. The Singapore Police Force defines this as 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
For the typical adult male, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks in about two hours. For the typical adult female, the threshold is about four drinks in that same period.
In the above definition, a drink is equivalent to a mug of beer (350ml), a glass of wine (150ml) or a shot of distilled spirits (50ml).
The truth is that binge drinking will ultimately hit you in the liver.
When you binge drink, as opposed to drinking in moderation over a longer period of time, the liver, which usually breaks alcohol down into fats or carbon dioxide and water, may be overwhelmed.
This can lead to liver cirrhosis, an irreversible process where the cells in the liver die and are replaced with scar tissue, leading to progressive loss of liver function.
Binge drinking can also lead to dehydration, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech and blurred vision, as well as greatly impaired motor skills.
Aside from the purely physical effects of binge drinking, consuming so much alcohol in such a short period of time also has psychological and emotional effects.
'Regular binge drinking increases the risk of getting hurt in accidents, irresponsible behaviour, dangerous or high-risk behaviour, difficulty in concentrating and inattentiveness,' said Dr Arthur Lee, senior consultant and head of the addiction medicine department in the Institute of Mental Health.
Irresponsible or high-risk behaviour may have consequences that have a long lasting emotional impact on individuals and their families long after the alcohol's effect had worn off, he said.
So, why are there binge drinkers?
'Social and environmental factors may influence young people to binge drink,' said Dr Lee.
For example, young people may see alcohol use as a 'normal' or even 'cool' recreational and social activity - to 'chill out', to have a good time with friends and to help one loosen up to have fun.
The availability and close proximity of pubs, bars and nightclubs within a small area may also contribute to binge drinking, said Dr Lee.
Then there are ignorance and a lack of understanding about the adverse effects of binge drinking.
Dr Lee sees binge drinking as 'potentially dangerous' and 'a serious problem for both genders'.
'If unchecked, it can lead to alcoholism, which can then lead to alcohol-related medical, social or psychological problems,' he added.
This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on June 4, 2008.
Britain ran a similar campaign four years ago, with sting operations carried out to identify shops which sold alcohol to youngsters under 18.
In Singapore, binge drinking has been the target of Get Your Sexy Back, a youth-led campaign launched late last year to urge responsible alcohol consumption.
While research has shown that moderate drinking, such as one or two glasses of red wine a day, can have health benefits, binge drinking is quite another matter.
A 'binge' is a pattern of drinking alcohol that raises blood alcohol concentration to a very high level. The Singapore Police Force defines this as 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
For the typical adult male, this pattern corresponds to consuming five or more drinks in about two hours. For the typical adult female, the threshold is about four drinks in that same period.
In the above definition, a drink is equivalent to a mug of beer (350ml), a glass of wine (150ml) or a shot of distilled spirits (50ml).
The truth is that binge drinking will ultimately hit you in the liver.
When you binge drink, as opposed to drinking in moderation over a longer period of time, the liver, which usually breaks alcohol down into fats or carbon dioxide and water, may be overwhelmed.
This can lead to liver cirrhosis, an irreversible process where the cells in the liver die and are replaced with scar tissue, leading to progressive loss of liver function.
Binge drinking can also lead to dehydration, nausea and vomiting, slurred speech and blurred vision, as well as greatly impaired motor skills.
Aside from the purely physical effects of binge drinking, consuming so much alcohol in such a short period of time also has psychological and emotional effects.
'Regular binge drinking increases the risk of getting hurt in accidents, irresponsible behaviour, dangerous or high-risk behaviour, difficulty in concentrating and inattentiveness,' said Dr Arthur Lee, senior consultant and head of the addiction medicine department in the Institute of Mental Health.
Irresponsible or high-risk behaviour may have consequences that have a long lasting emotional impact on individuals and their families long after the alcohol's effect had worn off, he said.
So, why are there binge drinkers?
'Social and environmental factors may influence young people to binge drink,' said Dr Lee.
For example, young people may see alcohol use as a 'normal' or even 'cool' recreational and social activity - to 'chill out', to have a good time with friends and to help one loosen up to have fun.
The availability and close proximity of pubs, bars and nightclubs within a small area may also contribute to binge drinking, said Dr Lee.
Then there are ignorance and a lack of understanding about the adverse effects of binge drinking.
Dr Lee sees binge drinking as 'potentially dangerous' and 'a serious problem for both genders'.
'If unchecked, it can lead to alcoholism, which can then lead to alcohol-related medical, social or psychological problems,' he added.
This article was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times on June 4, 2008.
How to be a responsible drinker
1 Drink at your own pace
One way to get out of binge drinking behaviour is to not try to keep up with other drinkers, said DrArthur Lee, senior consultant and head of the addiction medicine department at the Institute of Mental Health.
2 Avoid eating salty foods or snacks
These will encourage you to drink more quickly.
3 Limit yourself
Setting limits and sticking to them, for example, having no more than two drinks during the course of the evening, can correct binge drinking behaviour, said DrLee.
4 Drink water or other non-alcoholic beverages in between cocktails or beers
This will slow down your rate of alcohol consumption, as well as make you feel fuller faster.
5 Set regular 'non-alcohol' days during the week
And stick to them.
6 Do not allow your drink to be topped up
You may lose track of how much alcohol you have been consuming. Instead, finish a drink slowly and with food, advised Dr Lee.
7 Take along a non-drinking buddy or a non-binge drinker
If you have a teetotaller or a non-binge drinker in the group, having like-minded company helps in resisting pressure to join in
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