Informative Speech Outline: Binge Drinking By: Grace Garcia

Specific Purpose: To teach the audience about the significant causes and effects of binge drinking and how it can greatly harm ones body and/or others around him.

Central Idea: Binge Drinking is the excessive use of alcohol within a number of days that impinges ones ability to think clearly; this may lead to serious damage towards oneself and others around. I. Introduction A. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 90% of alcohol consumed by youth under the age of 21 in the United States is in the form of binge drinking. College students are more likely to binge drink, with the highest percentage in 18-to-20 year-old age group. We are more or less likely to give into peer pressure at some point in our lives. By this, I more or less generally mean giving into the consumption of alcohol. But do we really know our limits and the number of negative effects too much alcohol could have on us? B. Goodwill: It is important to understand the effects of binge drinking because anyone is prone to wanting to forget their own problems for awhile or live up to their peers expectations and drink beyond their own limits. C. Thesis Claim: I would like to inform you on the reasons behind binge drinking and why this is such a problem in todays society.

D. Preview of Main Points: 1. First, I would like to give you a better understanding of what binge drinking is. 2. Then, I would like to help you gain a greater understanding as to why people normally binge drinking, or in other words, the causes of binge drinking. 3. Lastly, I will inform you on the consequences of binge drinking and how we could prevent such catastrophes from happening. II. Body A. First, let us define what binge drinking really is. 1. According to The Nemours Foundation of Kids Health, binge drinking is the heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time. Its main intention is to get extremely intoxicated either over a short amount of time, or drinking a consistent amount of alcohol over a long period of time, thus hindering ones ability to think clearly. 2. The general accepted term of binge drinking in the United States today is drinking 5 or more alcoholic beverages by men and 4 or more alcoholic beverages for women in a couple of hours, or one or more drinks each day for the past 30 days. B. Next, I would like to present to you a few reasons why people commonly binge drink. 1. Peer pressure is probably the biggest reason why people, mainly adolescents and young adults, binge drink.

2. Theyre curious- the want to know what it is like to drink alcohol, even though they may not know their limits as to how much alcohol they could consume. 3. They believe it will make them feel good. 4. People find it as a way to run away from their personal problems and relieve stress. 5. They want to feel older. C. Lastly, I would like to teach you the consequences of binge drinking and how we could prevent it. 1. Binge drinking greatly affects ones health. Sometimes, it may even lead to death with alcoholic poisoning. 2. It hinders ones ability to think clearly, which may lead to impaired driving or malicious acts that one would not normally do if sober. 3. It affects a students academic performance and social behavior. 4. It may lead to aggression and assaults, such as bar fights or domestic violence. 5. Date rape is a serious offense that may result from binge drinking. 6. It may lead to unprotected sex, thus leading to unintended pregnancy. 7. Alcohol poisoning is common when it comes to excessive drinking. 8. The most effective way to reduce, or maybe even prevent, alcohol abuse is to inform others of the truth and help them understand the facts.

III.

Conclusion A. Review of Key Points: Some of the main points that I have covered today are: 1. Binge drinking is the excessive consumption of alcohol over a short amount of time or a consistent amount of alcohol consumption over a long period of time. 2. There are many reasons why people engage in binge drinking; the main reasons are peer pressure, stress, to know what it feels like to be drunk, to feel good, to feel older. 3. Along with these many reasons come their consequences, such as low grades, drunk driving, fights, domestic violence, date rape, alcoholic poisoning, self-harm, and even maybe death. B. Memory devise/ Lasting Thought: Let me end my speech my leaving you with one final note: Binge drinking not only negatively affects our bodies physically, but it may also affect our social and moral standards, to the point where it may no longer feel like we can control our own lives.

Bibliography: 1) Seaman, Barrett. Binge: What Your College Student Won't Tell You : Campus Life in an Age of Disconnection and Excess. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2005. Print. 2) Nuwer, Hank. Wrongs of Passage: Fraternities, Sororities, Hazing, and Binge Drinking. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1999. Print. 3) "CSPI: Alcohol Policy: Binge Drinking on College Campuses." Center for Science in the Public Interest. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://www.cspinet.org/booze/collfact1.htm>.

4) "Binge Drinking." KidsHealth - the Web's Most Visited Site about Children's Health. The Nemours Foundation, 11 July 2010. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://kidshealth.org/teen/drug_alcohol/alcohol/binge_drink.html>. 5) "Binge Drinking in Adolescents and College Students." Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Treatment, Prevention at SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. SAMHSA, 6 July 2010. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/govpubs/rpo995/>. 6) "Alcohol and Public Health - Binge Drinking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 6 July 2010. Web. 15 July 2010. <http://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/quickstats/binge_drinking.htm>.