What is binge drinking?

Binge drinking is when you drink a lot of alcohol in one session to get drunk.

The Australian Guidelines to Reduce Health Risks from Drinking Alcohol recommend that to reduce the risk of harm from alcohol, healthy adults should drink:

• no more than 4 standard drinks in one day
• no more than 10 standard drinks per week

If you drink more than these amounts you are increasing your chances of damage to your health or wellbeing. The less you drink, the lower your risk of harm from alcohol.

Find out more about standard drinks on the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing website.

Why do people binge drink?

There are lots of reasons why people binge drink.

You might:

• feel pressure from your friends
• drink to avoid feeling awkward or uncomfortable at social events
• use alcohol to try and cope with depression or stressful life events

You might not realise how much you have had to drink. A standard drink can be less than a serving. Or perhaps someone else was topping up your drink.

Drinking alcohol is an accepted part of adult life in Australia. Because drinking and even binge drinking is so common, you may not realise it has many negative effects.

At least 1 in 3 Australian adults drinks enough alcohol to put them at risk of disease or injury.

What are the harms of binge drinking?

Lots of problems are linked to binge drinking, and not all of them are obvious or happen straight away.

Short-term effects of binge drinking

Short-term effects of binge drinking are:

• feeling sick
• vomiting
• feeling shaky
• having a hangover the next day

You could also injure yourself or someone else. For example, you could get into a fight or car accident or fall over.

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

• have unprotected sex and risk a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or pregnancy
• embarrass yourself
• damage your reputation with your work colleagues or family
• lose valuable items, such as your wallet, purse or mobile phone

Long-term effects of binge drinking

Long-term effects of binge drinking can include:

• problems at school, at work and with relationships
• risk of emotional and mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety
• physical and psychological dependence on alcohol
• health effects, such as damage to your brain or liver and an increased risk of cancer

Binge drinking and pregnancy

No amount of alcohol is safe while you are pregnant or breastfeeding. This is because alcohol can cross into your unborn baby’s bloodstream.

There is a greater chance of harm to your unborn baby the more you drink when you are pregnant. Binge drinking is especially harmful. This is because the level of alcohol in your blood is high, and so more alcohol can cross to your baby.

Heavy drinking can even harm your baby before you know that you are pregnant. So, if you are planning a pregnancy, it is a good time to stop drinking alcohol or reduce the amount you drink.

If you drink during pregnancy your baby might develop fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

Alcohol also crosses into breastmilk. If you drink and breastfeed, it can affect your nursing baby.

When should I see my doctor?

Get advice from your doctor if:

• you think you are drinking too much alcohol
• you are having trouble managing how much you drink
• you struggle to control how many drinks you have once you start

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

Sometimes, a nurse or doctor will ask how much you drink when you are visiting them for another reason such as:

• a general check-up
• planning a pregnancy
• high blood pressure
• feeling depressed

Try to be honest about how much you drink and why. Your doctor can help you make a plan to reduce the amount you drink.

Resources and support

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

• your doctor
• your local community health service
• Alcoholics Anonymous Australia online support or call 1300 222 222
• The National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015
• Hello Sunday Morning for free online support
• Alcohol & Drug Counselling Online

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 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

• Alcohol and Drug Foundation has information on alcohol and drug treatment services, health and wellbeing, and where to access support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
• 13YARN has a factsheet about understanding the misuse of alcohol and other drugs.