Say No to Binge Drinking

Hey guys, do you drink alcohol? For those of you who do, do you drink sensibly? I mean, do you stop before you have had too much?

How much is too much, you may ask? And what if you do? Good questions! Here we go!

Some people drink until they think they have reached their own limits and they make their judgement by observing signs like feeling nausea, vomiting, having headache or feeling tipsy. They will keep on drinking until, or even beyond the point that, they experience such feelings/signs.

But guys, do you know that drinking 5 glasses or more alcoholic drinks in a row is already binge drinking?

The Population Health Survey conducted by the Department of Health in 2003-2004 estimated that about 1 800 000 people in Hong Kong drink alcohol, and 14.4% of them reported they had had 5 or more alcoholic drinks in a row (binge drinking) in the preceding month. Males were more likely to binge drink.

Don't allow yourself to binge drink just because you only drink once in a while. Having just one binge drinking episode can cause harmful effects to your health, and may lead to acute alcohol intoxication or even death. Excessive alcohol intake also increases the risks of having accidents, getting involved in violent events or having unsafe sex.

Social gatherings without alcohol can be just as fun and as enjoyable. However, if you choose to drink alcohol, don't binge drink.

For tips on sensible and responsible drinking, please refer to the "Drink Smart" section and previous sharing in "Drink Alcohol Sensibly" of the Newsroom section of our website. For more findings about drinking habits of Hong Kong people, please browse the December 2004 issue of the "NCD Aware" publication.

(Last Updated on 01-06-2005)