The Institute of Child Health released a study of 11,000 children who were born in 1970 and monitored at the age of 16 and 30. At the age of 30, participants were asked to describe their levels of heavy drinking based specific criteria:
Weekly consumption
Illicit drug use
Mental health problems
Educational achievement and employment
Personal history
Binge drinking was defined as two or more episodes in which four or more drinks were consumed in a row. One in four of the 16 year old were habitual drinkers, drinking more than two to three times a week.
Experts called the findings of this study, which was published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, worrying.
Along with being more likely to be alcoholics and have criminal records, binge drinkers were 40% more likely to use illegal drugs, 40% more likely to suffer from mental health problems and 60% more like to be homeless.
Social Exclusion
Binge drinkers were found to be 40% more likely to be involved in accidents and almost four times as likely to be excluded at school.
Dr. Russell Viner, lead researcher, said, “Adolescent binge-drinking is a risk behaviour associated with significant later adversity and social exclusion.” The authors of the study conclude, "Binge-drinking may contribute to the development of health and social inequalities during the transition from adolescence to adulthood."
Researchers suggest that efforts to decrease the rate of binge drinking be set within the wider context of adolescent risk behaviour rather than concentrating specifically on alcohol use, access and availability.
For further information:
The Information Centre for Health and Social Care latest figures on smoking, drugs and alcohol consumption
Related EPHA articles:
*UPDATED* The ’Alcohol Strategy’: a missed opportunity to protect health?
Combating alcohol-related harm in Europe - evidence of effective and cost-effective measures
