Binge Drinking Effects

Negative Effects of Binge Drinking The consumption of alcohol at an unhealthy and dangerous rate has a profound long term effect on the abuser. In particular, consuming enough alcohol to reach a blood alcohol content level measuring .200 can result in a major drop in inhibition which can lead to careless and illegal behavior. Often in social situations excess drinking is accompanied by a misunderstanding of sexual consent, leaThe ding to frequent violations of one’s personal well-being. The body can be gravely harmed physically and mentally by unnecessary consumption, causing liver and brain damage. Additionally, tough legal situations arise when an individual chooses to drink under the age of 21 or operate a vehicle while intoxicated.
Due to this inclination of association between the two, hooking up while excessively intoxicated is accepted as a norm. This clearly creates a major problem in the safety and wellbeing of both men and women in situations involving alcohol and promiscuity. A male student involved in a study conducted by Antonia Abbey of Wayne University commented, “Alcohol loosened us up and the situation occurred by accident. If no alcohol was consumed, I would never have crossed that line” (Abbey, 2002). The student was describing how alcohol was his motivation for sexually assaulting his female friend. When under the influence of alcohol and a BAC of .200 is reached, it is inevitable for inhibitions of college students to greatly drop and they begin to interpret casual alcohol motivated flirtation as an invitation for sexual intercourse. The study conducted by Abbey analyzed the expectations that men have about the effect of alcohol, “Thus, if a man feels powerful and sexual after drinking alcohol, then he is more likely to interpret his female companion’s friendly behavior as being a sign of sexual interest, and he is more likely to feel comfortable using force to obtain sex. In one study, college men who had perpetrated sexual assault when intoxicated expected alcohol to increase male and female sexuality more than did the college men who perpetrated sexual assault when sober.” (Abbey, 2002). Alcohol
One, unfortunate, but common law broken is driving while intoxicated. In fact, “In 2014, 9,967 people were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, accounting for nearly one-third (31%) of all traffic-related deaths in the United States” (CDC, 2016). In the state of Missouri and all other states, the legal blood alcohol limit for driving is below a .08. Anything above this number is considered not suitable for the road because it can be an endangerment to you as well as other drivers on the road. Even if you feel you are suitable to drive, it is still illegal to drive and you are subject to be pulled over if you are above a .08 blood alcohol content. According to Megan McMurray, a clinical psychology intern at UAB “As BAC increases, so does alcohol’s effects and the risk for harm, even small increases in BAC can decrease coordination, make a person feel sick and impair judgment. This can lead to injury from falls or car crashes, leave one vulnerable to sexual assault or other acts of violence, and increase the risk for unprotected, unintended intercourse” (University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2016). One can see how just even that one “last” drink can really put you over the edge, making you unsuitable to drive. There are many preventions that have been put in place to try to stop this illegal act. One group in particular is called “Mothers