The UK has one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Europe

90% of the alcohol consumed by teens is consumed in the form of binge drinking.
Each year more than 5,000 deaths of teens are linked to drinking
In 2003 31% of teen drivers who died in car accidents had been drinking
The three leading causes of death for teens are car accidents, homicides, and alcohol is a
leading factor in all three
An early onset age of drinking is associated with alcohol-related violence
Statistics show that 35% of adults with alcohol dependency developed symptoms by the age
of 19
The majority of teens who drink engage in binge drinking
3 out of 4 high school students report that they have consumed an alcoholic beverage prior
to graduating high school
The most serious effects of teenage binge drinking is that it leads to adult dependence
Teens who start drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop an
alcohol addiction before the legal age of 21
Nearly 44% of high school students are binge drinkers (meaning two out of five students
consume 4-5 alcoholic drinks with in a TWO-HOUR period
Many students drink because their peers drink and they follow
Most high school student drink to get drunk, others drink as a way to relieve pressure
Over 50% of students who binge drink have blacked out or have forgotten what they did
while drinking during the school year.
An estimate of 2.1 million students drive under the influence each year.

http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB10932/alc-eng-2013-rep.pdf

In England, in 2011:
drunk within the recommended levels on the day they drank the most alcohol. This was
most common among men and women aged 65 or over.

than 14 units weekly.

26% in 2001, and is at a similar level to 2010, when 13% of pupils reported drinking in
the last week.
In England:
Estimates of the number of alcohol-related admissions to hospital are calculated using a
method developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO) which takes
information on patients characteristics and diagnoses from the Hospital Episode
Statistics (HES), together with estimates for the proportion of cases of a particular
disease or injury that are caused by alcohol consumption (known as alcohol-attributable
fractions (AAFs)). Within this publication, two main measures are presented:
associated with each admission based on the diagnosis most strongly associated with
alcohol out of all recorded diagnoses (both primary and secondary); and
associated with the diagnosis recorded in the primary position.

The attributable fractions represent the likelihood that the condition is the result of alcohol
consumption, rather than the likelihood that the admission is the result of alcohol consumption.
The figures based on all diagnoses give an estimate of the number of admissions to hospital
caused or affected by alcohol consumption at a particular time or place and hence the pressure
put on the health system. Information based only on primary diagnoses allow an uncomplicated
picture of trends in alcohol-related admissions over time although will provide an incomplete
picture of admissions resulting from or affected by alcohol consumption (as in some cases, the
secondary diagnoses will have contributed to the admission to hospital).

In 2011/12, there were 200,900 admissions where the primary diagnosis was
attributable to the consumption of alcohol (the narrow measure). This is a 1% increase
since 2010/11 when there were 198,900 admissions of this type and a 41% increase
since 2002/03 when there were around 142,000 such admissions.
2011/12, there were an estimated 1,220,300 admissions related to alcohol
consumption where an alcohol-related disease, injury or condition was the primary
reason for hospital admission or a secondary diagnosis (broad measure). This is an
increase of 4% on the 2010/11 figure (1,168,300) and more than twice as many as in
2002/03 (510,700). Comparisons over time in the broad measure are complicated by
changes in recording practices over the period. In order to estimate the trend once
changes in recording practices are accounted for, a method to adjust the national figures
has been devised which is presented in Appendix E. Adjusted figures show a 51%
increase from an estimated 807,700 in 2002/03 and a 1% increase from 1,205,500 in
2010/11.
re 178,247 prescription items prescribed for the treatment of alcohol
dependence in primary care settings or NHS hospitals and dispensed in the community.
This is an increase of 6% on the 2011 figure (167,764) and an increase of 73% on the
2003 figure (102,741).

an increase of 18% on the 2011 figure (2.49 million) and an increase of 70% on the
2003 figure (1.72 million).
http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/young-people-and-alcohol-what-are-the-risks

Because young peoples bodies are still growing, alcohol can interfere with their
development. This makes young people particularly vulnerable to the long-term damage
caused by alcohol. This damage can include:

cancer of the mouth and throat

sexual and mental health problems, including depression and suicidal thoughts
liver cirrhosis and heart disease

Research also suggests that drinking alcohol in adolescence can harm the development of the
brain.

Young people might think that any damage to their health caused by drinking lies so far in
the future that its not worth worrying about. However, there has been a sharp increase in the
number of people in their twenties dying from liver disease as a result of drinking heavily in
their teens.
Young people who drink are also much more likely to be involved in an accident and end up
in hospital.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3121440.stm
Britain's binge drinking culture is costing the country 20 billion a year,
according to a government report.
The study by the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit shows 17 million working days are lost to
hangovers and drink-related illness each year.
The annual cost to employers is estimated to be 6.4 billion while the cost to the NHS is
in the region of 1.7bn.
Billions more are spent clearing up alcohol-related crime and social problems.
In addition, alcohol-related problems are responsible for 22,000 premature deaths each
year.
However, the authors of the report said that even these figures may be a conservative
estimate.
They found that there are 1.2 million incidents of alcohol-related violence a year.
Around 40% of A&E admissions are alcohol-related. Between midnight and 5am that
figure rises to 70%.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-29686528
Britain's drinking culture has sparked a "worrying" rise in liver disease deaths, health officials
say.
Public Health England says 24-hour drinking and higher levels of alcohol consumption are
fuelling the "rapid and shocking" increase in death rates seen in recent years.
Over a decade, the number of people dying from liver disease in England has risen by 40%
from 7,841 to 10,948.
Alcohol is linked to more than one-third of these deaths, says PHE.

Avoidable deaths

Other leading causes include infections such as hepatitis B and C, and obesity.
Along with alcohol, these are all potentially preventable. Only about 5% of deaths are
attributable to autoimmune and genetic disorders.

Public Health England says there has been a 40% rise in deaths from liver disease

Prof Julia Verne, who is head of liver disease at PHE, said: "It's clear from looking at the
data that the continuous availability of alcohol, and not just binge drinking, is fuelling an
increase in deaths from liver disease.
The figures - PHE's first regional study of liver disease - also show a north-south divide, with
death rates mostly higher in the north.
For example, in Northumberland, Lancashire and Leeds, alcohol-related liver disease kills
around 11 in every 100,000 people under the age of 75. In Hampshire and Surrey, the figure
is six in every 100,000.
High death rates often goes hand-in-hand with a very high number of licensed premises per
head, said Prof Verne.

Alcopops generation
"England is the only country in Europe where the death rate from liver disease is increasing
and not falling and that's because our alcohol consumption is going up and theirs is going
down.
"Some drastic changes are needed," she said.
Emily Robinson, deputy chief executive of Alcohol Concern said: "It's a tragedy that we're
actually seeing cases of young people in their 20s dying of alcoholic liver disease, when this
can be prevented. The so called 'alcopops generation' have grown up in a society where
alcohol is available at almost anytime, anywhere, at incredibly cheap prices and promoted
non-stop.
"The government needs to make tackling the rise in liver disease an urgent priority and
action must include introducing a minimum unit pricing for alcohol, a policy that promises to
save hundreds of lives and reduce thousands of hospital admissions each year."
Andrew Langford, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said the data would help
healthcare services to address gaps in their care for people suffering from liver disease as
well as identify people at risk

Books

Binge Drinking Research Progress

Binge drinking is often associated with drinking with the intention of becoming intoxicated
and, sometimes, with drinking in large groups. It is sometimes associated with physical or
social harm.

Binge Drinking and Youth Culture: Alternative Perspectives

Underage drinking and binge drinking are not harmless rites of passage. Rather than serving
as some kind of bridge to adulthood, these illicit activities exact a senseless and severe price
in blood and brain cells each semester. The proof is in the firsthand student accounts of outof-control house parties and bar blasts, the testimonies of concerned health care
professionals, and the tragic news stories related in this landmark book.

Binge Drinking Research Progress

Binge drinking is now usually used to refer to heavy drinking over an evening or similar time
span - sometimes also referred to as heavy episodic drinking. Binge drinking is often
associated with drinking with the intention of becoming intoxicated and, sometimes, with
drinking in large groups. It is sometimes associated with physical or social harm.