Mention binge drinking and one’s thoughts usually turn to college students partying, but research shows that many adults also regularly drink enough alcohol in one sitting to be considered bingeing, said the Industry Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education (AWARE.org).
Until 2017, AWARE.org was known as the Industry Association for Responsible Alcohol Use (ARA). The organisation is focused on creating a national culture of responsible drinking and a generation of South Africans free of alcohol abuse. All companies in South Africa who are in the alcohol industry must adhere to the AWARE.org Code of Marketing.
In a statement issued ahead of National Braai Day on 24 September, the organisation said various sources have different definitions for binge drinking.
According to them, England’s National Health Service defines it as “drinking lots of alcohol in a short space of time, or drinking to get drunk” and closer to home, the World Health Organization ranks South Africa at 59th of 195 countries for heavy episodic drinking among those who drink – this means at least 60 grams or more of pure alcohol on at least one occasion in the past 30 days.
According to evidence on binge drinking in a National Income Dynamics Study (2014–2015) published by the South African Medical Journal, one in three South Africans reported drinking alcohol, while one in seven reported binge drinking on an average day on which alcohol was consumed. The study defined a binge drinker as an individual who reported consumption of more than five standard drinks on an average drinking day.
Of drinkers, 43 per cent reported binge drinking (48,2 per cent men, 32,4 per cent women). The prevalence of self-reported binge drinking was highest among men and women between 25 and 34 years of age. Dangerous alcohol consumption varies from occasional hazardous drinking to daily heavy drinking.
Harmful alcohol consumption is associated with health and safety problems including cardiovascular diseases, liver cirrhosis and various types of cancer; risky behaviour which could lead to the transmission of infectious diseases like cancer; and road accidents and violence.
According to the World Health Organization’s 2011 Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health, each year 320 000 people between the ages of 15 and 29 die from alcohol-related causes, representing 9 per cent of all deaths in that age group.
“For many young people, especially students, intoxication usually is the main goal of drinking,” said Pamela Nkuna, Smart Drinking and CSR Manager Africa at South African Breweries (SAB).
“With intoxication comes other dangers, including lack of judgement about one’s personal safety, health concerns and even alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. It is important that people drink in moderation. Pace yourself carefully – no more than one drink per hour. With the introduction of no-and-low alcohol beers – such as Castle Free and Hansa Golden Crisp – SAB is giving consumers more choice and smarter drinking options to pace oneself in between beers. Have something to eat. Drinking excessively, to get drunk, is very dangerous.”
She added that one’s body can only process one unit of alcohol per hour. As a general rule for responsible drinking, one should aim to consume no more than one unit of alcohol per hour, amounting to about 10ml of pure alcohol. The number of units of alcohol in your drink depends on its size and strength.
A draft glass of low strength beer is two units, while a bottle of lager is 1,7 units and a cider 1,5 units.
“People who weigh less than 68kg should be aware that their bodies will take longer to process alcohol and should drink less and more slowly.”
As an example, a 350ml bottle of Castle Lager, which has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5 per cent has 1,75 units of alcohol and therefore should be consumed over approximately two hours.
Remember, if you are going to drink, take a cab to and from your venue.
If you or a loved one is looking for help, you can call any of these organisations:
• Alcoholics Anonymous on 0861 HELP AA (435722)
• The South African Depression and Anxiety Group on 0800 21 22 23
HOW TO CALCULATE UNITS OF ALCOHOL:
In South Africa, the legal driving limit is a breath alcohol content of 0,24mg per 1000ml, or a blood alcohol limit of 0,05g per 100ml.
What does this mean to consumers? How is one unit of alcohol calculated?
The formula is: multiply the volume of the drink (in millilitres/ml) by its percentage alcohol by volume (ABV) and divide by 1 000, to determine the number of units of alcohol in the drink. For example: 350ml x 5 per cent ABV divided by 1 000 = 1,75 units of alcohol.
So, to reiterate the Castle Lager example above, at 1,75 units of alcohol per bottle, consumers should drink only one 350ml bottle every two hours in order to remain within the legal driving limit.
