Binge drinking is a common pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens during a 2 hour span when men consume 5 or more drinks, and when women consume 4 or more drinks..¹

Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.

Binge drinking is associated with many health problems, including but not limited to

• Unintentional injuries (e.g., car crashes, falls, burns, drowning).
• Intentional injuries (e.g., firearm injuries, sexual assault, domestic violence).
• Alcohol poisoning.
• Sexually transmitted diseases.
• Unintended pregnancy.
• Children born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.
• High blood pressure, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
• Liver disease.
• Neurological damage.
• Sexual dysfunction.
• Poor control of diabetes.

To get help with binge drinking or other high-risk drinking behaviors visit our section on quitting and reducing alcohol.

1. National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. NIAAA council approves definition of binge drinking. NIAAA Newsletter 2004; No. 3, p. 3. Available at http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Newsletter/winter2004/Newsletter_Number3.pdf (PDF). Accessed March 31, 2008.