High-Intensity Drinking

Abstract

Binge drinking thresholds have long been set at four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men over the course of a few hours. However, a significant number of people regularly consume much higher amounts of alcohol: double or even triple the standard binge drinking threshold. Researchers have begun to distinguish between typical binge drinking and this kind of "high-intensity drinking," which is common among certain types of binge drinkers and is often associated with special occasions, including holidays, sporting events, and, notably, 21st birthdays. To understand the social and physical influences of alcohol consumption, it is important for researchers to set standard definitions for high-intensity drinking and distinguish it from other types of alcohol use.

Figure 1

College versus noncollege high-intensity drinking patterns. Young adults who attend a 4-year college full time are more likely to report engaging in high-intensity drinking and binge drinking during the previous 2 weeks than drinkers who do not attend college, attend a 2-year college, or attend college part time. Full-time students at 4-year colleges are also more likely to say that they usually attain moderate/high and sustained intoxication when they drink. Source: Figure adapted from Table 1 and Table 3 in Patrick ME, Terry-McElrath YM. High-intensity drinking by underage young adults in the United States. Addiction. 2017;112(1):82–93.