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The Pros And Cons Of Binge Drinking

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According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that elevates one’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels to 0.08 g/dL. Alternatively, binge drinking can be defined as having five or more alcoholic beverages for males and four or more alcoholic beverages for females within two hours (NIAAA, 2017). Binge drinking exceeds the appropriate amount of time needed for the body to metabolize alcohol, which is approximately one drink per hour. One drink is equivalent to a 12-ounce beer, a 5-ounce glass of wine, or a 1.25 ounce shot of liquor. There is one primary area of concern that has consistently ranked as the nation’s most common setting for binge drinking: college campuses. For many college students, alcohol use is a very important part of university culture. In the United States, many people equate the college experience with drinking and partying. Individual level factors that contribute to binge drinking are numerous. Individuals with a short serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) consume more alcohol per occasion and are more likely to exhibit troublesome drinking patterns (Courtney & Polich, 2009). Individuals with characteristics of impulsivity, disinhibition, deviancy, and sensation seeking have also been correlated with heavy alcohol misuse (Borsari, Murphy, & Barnett, 2007). When it comes to gender differences, male students drink more often, in larger quantities, and have a stronger

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