Binge drinking

Binge drinking is when you drink a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time. This may cause you to feel sick or affect how you behave.

Binge drinking is different to alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence, also known as alcoholism or alcohol use disorder, is when you become dependent on alcohol over time.

The Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol (Opens in new tab) recommend that to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol, healthy adults should not drink:

• more than 4 standard drinks in one day
• more than 10 standard drinks per week

If you drink more than these amounts of alcohol, it can harm your health. The less you drink, the lower your chance of harm from alcohol.

Find out more about standard drinks (Opens in new tab) on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (Opens in new tab) website.

View this information in a poster: Know your standard drinks.

You can get help for binge drinking. If you are unsure whether your drinking is a problem, talk with your doctor or a support service.

There are many reasons why people binge drink.

You might:

• feel pressure from your friends to drink
• drink to avoid feeling uncomfortable at social events
• use alcohol to try and cope with depression or stressful life events
• not realise how much you have had to drink — a standard drink can be less than a serving

Drinking alcohol is often considered a normal part of adult life in Australia. Because drinking and even binge drinking are common, you may not realise that it can have negative effects.

Many people experience issues with alcohol at some point in their lives. You don't have to wait until it becomes a problem to get support.

Many problems can be linked to binge drinking. Not all of them are obvious or happen straight away.

Short-term effects of binge drinking

The short-term effects of binge drinking include:

• feeling sick
• vomiting
• having a hangover the next day
• feeling sleepy
• memory loss
• loss of bladder control
• higher chance of injuries and accidents

You might behave differently when you are drunk. You may do things you would not normally do, such as:

• have unprotected sex
• take risks you normally wouldn't take
• lose valuable items, such as your wallet or purse

Long-term effects of binge drinking

The long-term effects of binge drinking can include:

• problems at school or work
• problems with relationships
• mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety
• alcohol dependence
• damage to your brain or liver
• a higher chance of cancer

It's never too late to get support for binge drinking. Many of the long-term effects of drinking can be treated.

No amount of alcohol is safe while you are pregnant (Opens in new tab). This is because alcohol can cross into your baby's bloodstream. Heavy drinking can even harm your baby before you know that you are pregnant. Alcohol can cross into breastmilk too.

To help keep you and your baby healthy, you should avoid drinking alcohol when you're:

• planning to become pregnant
• pregnant
• breastfeeding

Binge drinking is especially harmful. This is because drinking a lot in a short time makes the level of alcohol in your blood high, so more alcohol can reach your baby.

If you are planning to become pregnant and have questions or worries about drinking, see your doctor.

Get advice from your doctor if you:

• think you are drinking too much alcohol
• struggle to control how many drinks you have once you start
• are worried about your drinking habits

Talking about drinking might be the first step to having a healthier relationship with alcohol.

Sometimes, a nurse or doctor will ask about your alcohol use when you visit for another reason. This might include:

• a general check-up
• if you are planning a pregnancy
• managing high blood pressure
• if you are experiencing depression

Try to be honest about how much you drink and why. Your doctor can:

• check your overall health
• support you to reduce or stop drinking
• monitor your progress over time

Your doctor can also refer you for further help from a:

• psychologist
• counsellor
• support group
• rehabilitation program

Your doctor should discuss your binge drinking in a supportive way. If you don't feel comfortable or supported, don't be afraid to find another doctor.

If you need help to manage your drinking, you can contact:

• your local community health service
• Alcoholics Anonymous Australia (Opens in new tab) online support or call 1300 222 222
• the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline (Opens in new tab) on 1800 250 015
• Alcohol & Drug Counselling Online (Opens in new tab)

Languages other than English

The Health Translations (Opens in new tab) page offers information in multiple languages, including topics such as:

• alcohol and pregnancy (Opens in new tab)
• talking to your child about alcohol use (Opens in new tab)
• alcohol awareness (Opens in new tab)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

The Alcohol and Drug Foundation (Opens in new tab) page has information on:

• alcohol and drug treatment journey (Opens in new tab)
• different types of drug and alcohol treatment (Opens in new tab)
• why people drink alcohol (Opens in new tab)

13YARN (Opens in new tab) has a factsheet about understanding the misuse of alcohol and other drugs (Opens in new tab).

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.