Binge Drinking  - A Tragic Yet Common Occurrence

By Julia Luci, MFT

Binge drinking and driving is one of the most prevalent and tragic incidents that occur on a daily basis nationwide.  Unfortunately, tragedies such as the automobile crash involving a drunk driver, in which three members of the Peckler family were killed, are not uncommon.  The staff of the Santa Clara Valley Alcohol and Drug Resource Alliance interfaces with clients and families that are struggling with substance abuse and its consequences daily.  Seeing this only encourages us to ensure that the community remains aware of how easily something like this can happen to someone you know.

For parents of teenagers, it is important to realize that 56% of students in grades 5 through 12 say that alcohol advertising encourages them to drink.  The Center for Disease Control stated that 72% of 9^th graders consumed alcohol while 84% of 12^th graders consumed alcohol nationwide.  With these types of statistics it is imperative to consider the consequences of not being aware of just how prevalent drug use really is.

Current research has found how drinking and driving correlates with binge drinking.  We define binge drinking as “5 or more drinks in one sitting”.  Drivers under the age of 25 are more likely than those 25 or older to be intoxicated in a fatal crash.  The National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug information noted “the most surprising result is that the male underage drinker actually averages more drinks every month than does his adult male counterpart: 44.8 drinks in the past month for the youth versus 38.9 drinks for the adult drinker nationwide”.  Every weekday night from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., one in 13 drivers is drunk.  On the weekend between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., one in seven drivers is drunk. (Miller et al., 1996)

As parents we need to remember that there are some important differences between binge drinking, alcohol abuse and addiction.  But, in any of these cases, prevention is the optimal solution.  Prevention means a) establishing clear communication guidelines around drugs with your children at a young age; b) discussing drugs with your children and being honest about your own positive and negative experiences; and c) if you have any concerns about your child, contacting the Resource Alliance at 408-292-7292 or the Teen and Family Counseling Center at 408-370-9990.

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