Binge drinking
Binge drinking means drinking a large amount of alcohol in one session. You do not have to drink every day for alcohol to cause serious harm. Drinking a lot quickly can lead to blackouts, injuries, alcohol poisoning and decisions you would not normally make.
What binge drinking means It is about how much you drink in one occasion, not only your weekly total.
In UK health guidance, binge drinking is commonly described as drinking more than 8 units in one session for men or more than 6 units in one session for women.
That is not a safe threshold. The harm from a drinking session depends on how quickly you drink, your size, health, whether you have eaten, other medicines or drugs, and your tolerance.
Read about units and strength →Why one heavy session can be dangerous Alcohol levels can rise faster than the body can deal with them.
Drinking quickly can push the amount of alcohol in the blood up sharply. Judgement and reaction time get worse while confidence often goes up.
Falls and other accidents.
Road traffic injuries.
Violence or arguments.
Unsafe sex or other risks.
Drowning or hypothermia.
Alcohol poisoning.
Blackouts A person can still be awake and functioning while the brain stops forming memories properly.
During a blackout, someone may talk, walk, argue, have sex, travel home or make decisions and later remember little or none of it.
Repeated blackouts are a serious warning sign that alcohol is reaching levels that are interfering with brain function.
Read more about alcohol, memory and blackouts → If blackouts are happening to you, read Is my drinking a problem? →Alcohol poisoning Very high alcohol levels can interfere with breathing, consciousness and the ability to protect the airway.
Alcohol poisoning can be life-threatening. Someone who has drunk too much may become very confused, vomit repeatedly, breathe slowly or irregularly, have a seizure, collapse or become unconscious.
If someone cannot be woken, is breathing abnormally, has a seizure, collapses or you think they may have alcohol poisoning, phone 999.
Stay with them.
If they are unconscious but breathing, put them in the recovery position.
Keep checking that they are breathing.
Do not give them more alcohol.
Do not give them coffee or put them in a cold shower.
Do not try to make them vomit.
Binge drinking can still damage your health Not drinking every day does not make heavy sessions harmless.
Repeated heavy sessions increase the risk of accidents and injuries and can also contribute to long-term health problems. Large amounts of alcohol in a short period can cause fatty liver and, in some cases, serious alcohol-related hepatitis.
Read about the health effects of alcohol →When it becomes a pattern Regular heavy sessions can become a problem even if there are alcohol-free days in between.
You regularly drink much more than you planned.
You find it hard to stop once you start.
You have blackouts or cannot remember parts of the night.
You repeatedly end up injured, in arguments or taking risks.
Other people are worried about your drinking.
You plan the next occasion around getting drunk.
You do not need to drink every day to have a serious alcohol problem.
Read Is my drinking a problem? →If you are worried about your drinking You can ask for help even if you are not dependent and do not drink every day.
Speak to your GP, Drinkline Scotland or a local alcohol service if heavy sessions are becoming regular, you are blacking out, getting injured or losing control of how much you drink.
Drinkline Scotland — 0800 7314 314 Call Find alcohol support and local services in Scotland ↗