Binge Drinking at College: How Much is Too Much?

Most Fridays, many students at my college who were over 21 would head to our favorite off-campus bar to usher in the weekend. One of the more popular drinks on the menu was a concoction called the Petrifier. It was a huge beverage, served in a very tall glass. It was the color of cranberry juice and tasted like fruit punch with little trace of alcohol.

"Two of these are my limit," Joe, a friend of mine, once quipped.

After our time at the bar, we'd walk back to our off-campus apartment. One of my friends and I would have to help Joe stand straight and walk.

"I don't know why I'm so, um, drunk, guys," he would say. "I only had two."

Poor Joe. He didn't know that, while he did down two Petrifiers, he actually had ten drinks. This is because what constitutes a "drink" is very different from what most people think. One drink equals one 12 oz. can of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of liquor.

Many college students who drink alcohol engage in something called binge drinking, consuming five or more drinks in a row by men, or four or more drinks in a row by women. Binge drinking occurs on most college campuses throughout the country. While universities offer programs to assist students who regularly binge drink, and face severe health risks because of it, the problem is that most students don't realize they binge drink.

Take Joe, for example. One Petrifier has two shots of rum, two shots of flavored vodka and a shot of schnapps, making it equal to five drinks. Chugging two Petrifiers is the equivalent of drinking 10 drinks--and means that you've been binge drinking big time. And, because students like Joe believe they've had fewer drinks than they actually consumed, they are more likely to drive while drunk or engage in other dangerous behavior, such as having unprotected sex.

Forget what you've heard; myths like "drinking three shots is better than two beers because you're drinking less" are baseless. While the volume of liquid you are drinking may be less, you are drinking more alcohol. Same goes for people who think drinking a beer with a chaser (a shot) is only one drink with "something extra." Sorry, that's two drinks no matter how you slice it.

When most students learn what binge drinking is, they begin to drink smarter and differently. Even Joe, who, when he realized that his Saturday mornings were shot by suffering through repeated hangovers from Friday night's Petrifiers, decided to make some healthier choices. He switched to drinking one or two beers during our outings. So, when he'd proclaim that he only "had two drinks," he was being both honest and accurate. Compared to most students who binge drink, he was lucky he only had hangovers to deal with, as binge drinking can have far more serious, even deadly, consequences for students.

If you or someone you know engages in binge drinking, and health, academics, employment and/or social relations suffer from it, contact the campus health center or counseling office for help. There's no shame in making the call, and most colleges offer free counseling and other resources.