Binge drinking
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This article was about the arguments over the use of the term binge drinking and how the term is used to describe college student alcohol consumption. The author believes that if colleges stop using the term, then more people from the college community (not just students) will come together and become more willing to be involved positively in campus-based activities.
Henry Wechsler used the term binge drinking when he reported the results of the first Harvard survey of college student drinking in 1994 to describe student alcohol intake. Wechsler defined binge drinking for men as 5 or more drinks in a row at least once in the past 2 weeks and as 4 or more drinks for women. This statement means that, according to Wechsler, that almost half (44%) of college students can be classified as binge drinkers. But in fact, most researchers objected this definition and said that 4 or 5 drinks in a row does not go together with the standard clinical definition, which usually refers to a long period of abusive drinking.
Wechsler did not take into account when he defined binge drinking that it does not "specify a time period over which the alcohol was consumed, neither does it factor in the drinkers body weight or drinking history"(Dejong). Two very important factors, because every man and woman's body is different and alcohol does not always do the same thing to every body no matter how many drinks one might consume. Students also understand that having 4 or 5 drinks in a 2 week period does not mean that they are binge drinkers or heavy drinkers for that matter. The true danger in binge drinking is that students might assume that drinking below the binge drinking amounts, tells them that they are safe from alcoholic related problems...