What I've Learned

I have covered a wide range of topics all under the main subject of binge drinking, such as drinking and driving, alcohol poisoning, and drinking songs.  Each blog has had some significance to college students and anyone who fits the binge drinking description.  I have learned many things while writing these blogs and I feel that they apply to anyone, including myself.  Since this is my last blog, I would like to share what they have meant to me and how it has changed or affected my own life.

(www.dreamstime.com)

I am like any other college student who likes to hang out with friends and have a good time on the weekends.  I also fit right into the description of a binge drinker.  When I realized this fact I began to wonder if binge drinking affects me and my personal life.  Over the past five weeks I have discovered facts and studies that have made me stop and think about drinking.  I started to analyze my behaviors and consumption when went out drinking with my friends because I realized that anything can happen when a person consumes an excess amount of alcohol.  I have never had alcohol poisoning or suffered an injury from drinking, but these things are very likely and there are statistics to prove it.  I also found out along my blogging journey that drinking can potentially cause long term memory loss and this was another eye opener. 

I do not want drinking to affect my future and who I will become.  This writing experience has made me realize that I am not invincible and anything can happen to me when I more than I can handle.  I have now become more responsible when I go out drinking.  I think about how I am getting home and what my drinking limit is.  This has made a world of difference in how my night and the next morning go.  I encourage you to follow a similar plan and see the difference for yourself.  

Drinking Around the World

(www.goldposters.com)

25% of deaths are alcohol-related according to a new study from a British medical journal called the Lancet.  Alcohol is now becoming as harmful to the globe as tobacco was ten years ago.  This increase in alcohol-related damage is not narrowed to one or two continents, but all of them.  Each country has risen between 5 and 40% and it does not seem to be declining any time soon.  The reason for this rapid increase has been studied for some time and researchers have come to the conclusion that it is due to more women drinking alcohol.  It has also been discovered that the wealthier a country is, the more alcohol its citizens consume.  Thus, more people drinking results in more alcohol-related accidents, strokes, cancer, and of course death.

So, how much does an average person in the world drink in the course of a year?  It has been estimated that a person drinks 1.6 gallons in a year.  If you concentrate this statistic on North America alone the amount increases to 2.5 gallons a year, which is 18 drinks a week.  This obviously does not apply to every person, but may concern many college students and binge drinkers.  They may not realize how many drinks they consume in a week, especially not in a year.  If I calculated the amount of alcohol I drank in a year it would be make me think twice about my consumption.

 It is clear that people around the world are drinking more and causing the rise of deaths due to alcohol, so what can be done to reduce this?  The study goes on to discuss possible ways and how countries are taking action.  In countries such as France and Italy, alcohol prices have risen and alcohol consumption has declined by 25% resulting in less deaths.  It is a difficult task to reduce deaths as a whole, but if more countries consider their options then maybe a decline is on the way.

Lights, Camera, Drink!

Old School, The Hangover, American Pie, Beerfest, Animal House. . . These were all listed in the top ten binge drinking movies of all time.  Which one do you think received the number one spot?  It’s no surprise that The Hangover is the number one binge drinking movie, according to the daily top 10 website.  It’s very popular and many people that have seen it love it.  Just a week ago the second installment of this film was released at the box office.  Entertainment Tonight said it was number one for the weekend and it brought in about $137.4 million. 

(tvtuc.com)

The Hangover and the others mentioned have all become popular among the younger crowd.  Why is this?  Because it shows binge drinking as fun, exciting, entertaining, and reasonably harmless.  All of these movies, except The Hangover, target teens and young adults directly.  They all show high school and college age students drinking at parties and having the time of their life.  It shows freedom and rebellion without little or no consequences.  There is always a happy ending and the geeky boy gets the hottest girl.  It’s the perfect way to show binge drinking and a good light and make students think that they will have the same exhilarating experience. 

Reality is never like the movies.  As much as we want happy endings, the movies fabricate what really occurs during nights of binge drinking.  If The Hangover really happened, one of the characters would have most likely died from alcohol poisoning or the drugs unintentionally taken.  Movie makers would never put death in an over the top comedy such as this.  They want viewers to be happy and laugh at every scene, not shocked and upset.  Portraying drinking as a good and positive thing gives teens and young adults the wrong impression.  They don’t realize until something bad happens that binge drinking is dangerous.  These comedic movies, although entertaining, are teaching the wrong ideas about drinking to all ages, but especially young people.

Think Before You Drink

Binge drinking is the main cause of alcohol poisoning according to the Mayo Clinic.  The majority of binge drinkers are below the age of 26.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that approximately 50,000 cases of alcohol poisoning are reported each year.  22,073 of these resulted in death. 

These are pretty frightening statistics and most college students don’t realize how risky binge drinking can be.  Alcohol poisoning is a very serious side effect of drinking and the results can be fatal.  There are still those that are sent to the hospital for alcohol poisoning and survive, but they are the lucky ones.  They most likely had a friend who knew something was wrong and immediately took action, but some students that suffer from alcohol poisoning are not so fortunate.  Their friends might not realize that they are suffering from the signs of alcohol poisoning and assume they are fine.  They may not even have friends around them at the time.  Whatever the case may be, anyone who is going to drink should have a plan for their night and make sure that they are never alone.  Safe drinking is better than death by drinking.

Before you leave to out with your friends discuss who the designated driver will be and what they should do to prevent binge drinking.  Each person should know their own limit, but the DD should also be aware of the signs that someone is beginning to drink too much.  The designated driver should also know the signs of alcohol poisoning in case of an emergency.

What are the signs of alcohol poisoning? 

(generalcuestar.com)

·         Mental confusion, stupor, coma, or person cannot be roused.

·         Vomiting.

·         Seizures.

·         Slow breathing (fewer than eight breaths per minute).

·         Irregular breathing (10 seconds or more between breaths).

·         Hypothermia (low body temperature), bluish skin color, paleness.

(collegedrinkingprevention.gov)

If you see someone with these symptoms seek help immediately.  Call 911 if there is any suspicion of alcohol poisoning.  Do not wait for all of these signs to occur.  Remember that it is better to be safe and call for help then to be sorry.

If those who are drinking are responsible and get help from friends who are sober, then alcohol poisoning can easily be prevented.  Drinking can be fun and harmless as long as it is in moderation and everyone is safe.