Binge drinking has become epidemic in the US, responsible for over half of all alcohol consumption and one in ten adult deaths each year. When alcohol is consumed, it is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and impacts many body systems. Initially, it causes feelings of euphoria by increasing serotonin and endorphins, but later leads to impaired motor skills and judgment as it interferes with brain neurotransmitters. Excessive drinking can overwhelm the liver's ability to break down alcohol safely, potentially causing alcohol poisoning, coma or death. Long-term binge drinking is linked to serious health issues like liver disease, brain damage and various cancers. To curb this epidemic, increased education about risks and policy changes like higher alcohol taxes

1. BINGE DRINKING: AN EPIDEMIC
By
Anna Fullerton
Dr. Emily Place
BIO 210
November 12, 2014

2. 1
Anna Fullerton
Dr. Emily Place
BIO 210
November 12, 2014
BINGE DRINKING: AN EPIDEMIC
You are out with some friends celebrating. To get things going one person
buys the table a round of shots. You don’t normally like to drink heavily, but it is just one
shot, and it’s a celebration. Then you order your usual glass of Merlot. Just as you finish
it, someone else buys a round, and you are feeling just relaxed enough, so you take that as
well. Before you know it, your thoughts are fuzzy, words are slurred, and reactions slow.
You somehow get to a taxi and then to your apartment, though you can’t really recall
how. The next morning you awake to a throbbing headache and upset stomach.
Unfortunately, this is a scenario most of us know all too well. Binge drinking makes up
for over half of all alcohol consumption in the US and is responsible for 1 in 10 adult
deaths each year (Alcohol and Public Health, 2014). What is happening within our bodies
that so quickly causes our common sense and better judgment to disappear? Furthermore,
do we really need to sweat the effects of too many drinks or can we just chalk it up to
another night of memory loss and poor choices?
As soon as you take your first sip or shot of alcohol, changes are occurring at a
cellular level. The alcohol travels from your mouth through the throat and esophagus into
the stomach. Approximately 20% is absorbed into the bloodstream through the stomach,
while the remaining 80% continues on to the small intestine for continued breakdown
before being absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, alcohol is able to
reach many other body systems including your excretory system and central nervous
system. First, we will discuss the chemical changes occurring in your brain (Foundation

3. 2
for a Drug Free World, 2014). At this point in your evening, you will probably start to
notice you are loosening up a little bit, maybe laughing a little louder and easier. You
have the hormone serotonin to thank for that. Alcohol increases the release of serotonin
and endorphins, which is why people oftentimes feel happy or euphoric when intoxicated.
This is usually one of the first signs of alcohol’s presence in your body. As you continue
to drink, however, you will also notice lessened motor control. You may be moving
slower, notice a longer reaction time, or be a bit clumsier than usual. This is because
alcohol slows down the neurotransmitters than send and receive signals in your brain.
Specifically, the cerebellum is hindered when discussing loss of motor skills (Beyond
Hangovers, 2010).
As alcohol travels through the bloodstream, it also makes its way to your
excretory system. The liver is one of the most incredible organs in your body. As it
absorbs the toxic alcohol, it is able to break it down through a process called
“metabolizing” and transform it into a nontoxic substance. However, your liver is only
able to metabolize so much, so fast. Consequently, excess drinking or even just drinking
too quickly will result in excess alcohol circulating in your bloodstream with no where to
be broken down because the liver was over loaded (Foundation for a Drug-Free World,
2014). When this occurs, the real trademarks of a heavy night of drinking start to appear.
At this point, your reflexes have slowed, your speech and motor skills are deteriorated,
and your decision-making capabilities are skewed. For many, memory loss, or “blacking
out,” is the worst of it. Alcohol’s interference with the neurotransmitter glutamate, which
is responsible for memory, is thought to be responsible for this phenomenon (Beyond
Hangovers, 2010). For others, though, the excessive alcohol is more than their bodies can

4. 3
handle, and consequences range from vomiting to coma and death. Although no one
believes it will happen to themselves or any of their friends, alcohol poisoning is a very
real danger. Once alcohol blood content reaches a certain level, the respiratory system is
serious hindered. Not only can arrhythmia in the heart occur, but also breathing slows
down to the point that the brain is no longer receiving oxygen (Foundation for a Drug-
Free World, 2014). Another huge risk happens when a person is either unconscious or too
drunk to turn over, but people can actually breathe in their own vomit, essentially
suffocating themselves (Alcohol and Your Health, 2014). Most of these consequences
will resolve themselves within 24-48 hours. However, many people are unaware of the
long-term consequences to binge drinking.
Heavy drinking over an extended period of time has physical, social, and
emotional consequences. Probably the most well known long-term side effect to alcohol
is damage to the liver. However, adverse health effects extend from brain damage to
stomach ulcers, and include increased risk of various types of cancers, heart disease,
stroke, pancreatitis, digestive problems, and depression and anxiety (Alcohol and Your
Health, 2014). Fortunately some of the long-term effects, previously discussed, are
treatable. For example, as the alcohol digests in your stomach, the acidity actually
irritates and can cause your stomach lining to bleed (Alcohol and Your Health, 2014). If
exposed to the acidity in alcohol frequently over a long period of time, stomach ulcers
can develop. However, the inflammation and infections that can occur with stomach
ulcers can be cured with various medications and antibiotics. Heart disease can also be
treated with exercise, a healthy diet, and aspirin. Depression and anxiety are both most
commonly treated with a dual regimen of therapy and medication, but can also be treated

5. 4
with solely medication. Even with an increased risk of mouth, throat, and stomach
cancers, treatment options are available in the forms of chemotherapies and various
radiation treatments.
Unfortunately, there are some long-term effects that are less easily treated. These
would include liver damage, pancreatitis, and damage to the brain, more specifically
Wernicke–Korsakoff Syndrome and hepatic encephalopathy which both occur over long-
term alcohol abuse (Alcohol Alert, 2004). The general population understands that
excessive and chronic alcohol use can damage the liver. What they may not realize,
though, is just how severe and long-term that damage can be. The liver is chiefly
responsible for breaking down toxins, such as alcohol. Over time however, some may
develop cirrhosis of the liver. This is a condition which results in weakness, fatigue,
jaundice, internal bleeding, swelling in various parts of the body, and can result in death
(Alcohol and Your Health, 2014). If the liver is scarred enough from the oxidative stress
of breaking down alcohol too frequently, the liver could potentially fail altogether.
Surprisingly, liver disease can also result in a brain condition called hepatic
encephalopathy (Alcohol Alert, 2004). When the liver is unable to break down toxins in
the body such as ammonia and manganese, these act as poison to brain cells. This
condition results in changes in sleep pattern, mood, psychiatric conditions, and coma or
death. The other serious brain disease that can result from long-term binge drinking is
known as Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome, which causes movement and coordination
problems, cognitive impairment, and memory loss. Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome is
caused by a thiamine deficiency found in many alcoholics. The part of the brain that is
affected the most has proven to be incredibly sensitive to thiamine deficiencies (Alcohol

6. 5
Alert, 2004). .
According to The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism,
abstaining from alcohol for up to a year can help to partially restore the original structure
of your brain (Alcohol Alert, 2004). Although, no damage can be reversed completely,
some cognitive functions can be improved. For most long-term effects of binge drinking,
the damage control depends on the amount of damage. The liver and the pancreas both
are damaged during long-term binge drinking. As mentioned earlier, there are treatments
available that help by lowering blood ammonia levels. There are also “artificial” livers
than assist livers in removing toxins from the body. If neither of those are an option,
some patients do require transplants (Alcohol Alert, 2004).
Physical side effects may be more obvious and more commonly discussed, but
they are not the only long-term consequences to long-term drinking. Socio-emotional
consequences may include strained friend/familial relations, loss of relationships, adverse
effects on work life or school life, legal consequences, and financial consequences
(Alcohol Misuse, 2013).
What can be done to lessen the devastating health effects of binge drinking? The
only way to tackle a major, large scale health issue like this one is a two pronged
approach that addresses both damage control and preventative measures. Since damage
control has been mostly covered in the earlier discussion of treatment options for short
and long-term health effects, we will focus more on the preventative piece.
Paramount to decreasing the prevalence of binge drinking among college
students and adults alike is the investment in preventative measures. Helping the public to
understand all the dangers involved in just one night of binge drinking is crucial in

7. 6
eliminating some of the adverse health effects. Education and awareness about the
consequences to binge drinking and irresponsible drinking in general can help the public
make more informed decisions. Especially for young people and on college campuses,
informing students of the harsh realties that come with risky behavior is vital (Alcohol
and Public Health, 2014). Education by itself is not enough, though. There must be
changes at the structural level as well. Policy changes should consist of increased taxes
on alcohol, increased alcohol prices, increased and consistent enforcement of underage
drinking laws and laws prohibiting diving under the influence (Alcohol and Public
Health, 2014).
They say too much of a good thing is a bad thing. In the case of alcohol, I would
have to agree. A night out on the town may seem innocent enough, but one too many
drinks can have devastating effects on your physical and socio-emotional wellbeing. In
order to combat the epidemic of binge drinking in our country, we must push for
increased education and awareness, so that the general public understands the dangers,
and policy reform so that there is less over all access to excessive amounts of alcohol.

8. 7
WORKS CITED
Alcohol’s Damaging Effects on the Brain. (2004, October 1). Retrieved November 15,
2014, from http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa63/aa63.htm
Alcohol and Your Health. (2014, November 1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/effects-
on-the-body/alcohol-and-your-health
Alcohol misuse - Risks . (2013, October 17). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Alcohol-misuse/Pages/Risks.aspx
Alcohol's Effects on the Body. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohol-health/alcohols-effects-body
All about binge drinking. (2014, August 7). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://au.reachout.com/all-about-binge-drinking
Drunk Driving Statistics - Drinking and Driving Facts - Drug-Free World. (2014, January
1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/alcohol/drinking-and-
driving.html#understandinghowalcoholaffectsthebody
Fact Sheets - Binge Drinking. (2014, January 16). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/binge-drinking.htm
Health Promotion Board. (2012, May 16). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.hpb.gov.sg/HOPPortal/health-article/414
How is drinking affecting you? (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
https://www.drinkwise.org.au/drinking-and-you/how-is-drinking-affecting-you/#
Interactive Body Content. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from

9. 8
http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/collegestudents/anatomy/body_nonfla
sh.aspx
Long Term Effects. (2011, January 1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www.intheknowzone.com/substance-abuse-topics/binge-drinking/long-
term-effects.html
Naimi, MD, MPH, T., Brewer, MD, MSPH, R., Mokdad, PhD, A., Denny, PhD, C.,
Serdula, MD, MPH, M., & Marks, MD, MPH, J. (2003, January 1). Binge
Drinking Among US Adults. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=195701
Short and Long Term Effects. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://www2.courtinfo.ca.gov/stopteendui/teens/resources/substances/alcohol/sho
rt-and-long-term-effects.cfm
Wechsler, PhD, H., Davenport, MPH, A., Dowdell, PhD, G., Moeykens, MS, B., &
Castillo, PhD, S. (1994, December 7). Health and Behavioral Consequences of
Binge Drinking in College. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=383597