Fancy Another?

Ok, so we all know that most students can’t say no to a cheap and cheerful night on the town, but is this really a cause for concern? Or are we all so caught up in this concept of ‘dangerous drinking’ that we have forgotten to have fun?

Experts across Britain have been hinting that Binge drinking is getting out of control and with the challenges that University brings, does this behaviour need to be prevented or embraced in order to alleviate the stress of assignments?

First we need to achieve a definition of binge drinking as the line is somewhat hazy amongst most members of the public. For example, government reports have regarded binging as 'the consumption of excessive amounts of alcohol within a limited time period’. The problem here is what counts as a ‘limited time period’. How can we prevent dangerous behaviour if we don’t know at which point it becomes dangerous? However, a general definition of Binge drinking can be described basically as ‘boozing simply to get drunk’.

Many believe that the main cause for concern is young people in Britain. Even eight-year-old children are being exposed to excessive alcohol consumption and are coming into school hung over! The problem spreads to one in four adults in Britain and 44% of 18 to 24-year-olds have been quantified regular binge drinkers causing the UK to be rated Europe's heaviest alcohol consumer.

The onslaught of criticism towards Britain’s ‘binge drinking culture’ is huge, due to the sheer amount of alcohol induced accidents that occur across the nation. It is estimated that alcohol plays a part in 20-30% of accidents and statistics have found that when completely smashed you are more likely to injure yourself falling into a bush or stepping out into moving traffic. This said, is it necessary to abolish this culture completely? Plenty of students are able to have a good night out, drink copious amounts of alcohol and still get home safely! Yes, it is true that they will probably be ‘hangin’ in the morning, but is there any real damage to their bodies?

This excessive use of alcohol can be the cause of many teenage skin complaints, dehydrating your body and causing a lack of vital nutrients. It can cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure which although may not trouble you now, in years to come your heart could be in grave danger! A common problem related to alcohol abuse is liver damage and the disease cirrhosis which turns your liver into scar tissue.

Undoubtedly, these physical problems are bad enough, but binge drinkers need to consider the social problems attached to alcohol consumption. On a small scale, slurring your words doesn’t seem like such a problem, but what happens when you get up in the morning, you can’t remember where you are, where you have been, or why you are in a stranger’s bed? Some might regard this as an achievement, but statistics have shown that one in five binge drinkers who do pull regret it afterwards.

Although it is tempting to go out every night of the week and pull as many people as you want, Deals of £1 entry, £1drinks floating around to lure you in, it is clear that binge drinking is a problem and the amount of lectures missed due to the following hangover is immense. The culture has spread over the past five years and it is necessary for people, especially students, to be aware of what damage it is doing to their bodies before it is too late.