Dangers of High-Intensity Drinking vs. Binge Drinking Explained

The dangers of drinking too much alcohol are well known, but until recently, much of this attention has focused on the consequences of binge drinking, where an individual consumes four or more drinks in one sitting. However, high-intensity drinking has recently claimed the spotlight: a label for a pattern of drinking that is even more risky, and often associated with special occasions such as the holidays.

How is high-intensity drinking different from binge drinking?

High-intensity drinking is a form of binge drinking. Binge drinking is defined as drinking to the point of intoxication, specifically four or more drinks for women and at least five drinks for men. High-intensity drinkers consume at least double the binge-drinking threshold on a single occasion: so, a woman would have to consume eight alcoholic drinks, and a man would have to drink 10, to qualify. "Whether you call it high-intensity drinking or binge drinking, having a lot of alcohol in a short space of time is extremely dangerous," Karen Tyrell, CEO of the charity Drinkaware, told Newsweek. A 2018 review of high-intensity drinking found that the practice was most common in young people—especially college students—and tended to peak in an individual's early 20s.

Why is high-intensity drinking dangerous?

"Our bodies can only process roughly one unit of alcohol an hour—and less for some people," said Tyrell. "By drinking a lot quickly, the amount of alcohol in your bloodstream can stop your body from working properly. "This puts you at serious risk of accidents, alcohol poisoning and other short- and long-term health issues. Don't do it." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 178,000 people die from excessive alcohol use each year in the United States. Studies have shown that people who engage in high-intensity drinking are more likely to drive while drunk, get injured while drunk, get into physical fights, get arrested, end up in the emergency department, engage in risky sexual behavior, vomit, pass out, black out and suffer from alcohol poisoning. Alcohol poisoning is when levels of alcohol in the bloodstream harm internal organs and can affect breathing and heart rate. One study from 2017 estimated that someone who drank three times the binge-drinking threshold (12 to 15 drinks or more) would reach blood alcohol concentrations higher than 0.3 percent. In one report of nearly 700 people who died from alcohol poisoning, average blood alcohol concentrations were 0.36 percent.

Why are we talking about high-intensity drinking now?

Studies have shown that high-intensity drinking is more common around special occasions and holidays, particularly those celebrated with friends, such as New Year's Eve. Research from the University of Southern California, published in November, has revealed that levels of heavy drinking rose significantly during the pandemic—by 20 percent, from 2018 to 2020—and stayed elevated in post-pandemic years. While men and young people have consistently been associated with heavy drinking, this new research points to a stark rise in heavy drinking among adults in their 40s. Another study from November, this time from Florida Atlantic University, found that alcohol-related death rates more than doubled between 1999 and 2000, with the sharpest spike occurring in 25- to 34-year-olds. Men remained most likely to die from alcohol-related causes, but women became 2.5 times more likely to do so, and the Midwest saw the steepest rise regionally. Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about alcohol? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice and your story could be featured in Newsweek.

References

Hingson, R. W., Zha, W., White, A. M. (2017). Drinking beyond the binge threshold: predictors, consequences, and changes in the U.S., Am J Prev Med. 52(6):717-27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.02.014 Matarazzo, A., Hennekens, C. H., Dunn, J., Benson, K., Willett, Y., Levine, R. S., Mejia, M. C., Kitsantas, P. (2024). New Clinical and Public Health Challenges: Increasing Trends in United States Alcohol Related Mortality, The American Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.10.024 Ayyala-Somayajula, D., Dodge, J. L., Leventhal, A. M., Terrault, N. A., Lee, B. P. (2024). Trends in Alcohol Use After the COVID-19 Pandemic: A National Cross-Sectional Study, Annals of Internal Medicine. https://doi.org/10.7326/ANNALS-24-02157 Hingson, R. W., Zha, W., White, A. M. (2017). Drinking Beyond the Binge Threshold: Predictors, Consequences, and Changes in the U.S., American Journal of Preventive Medicine 52(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2017.02.014 Patrick, M. E., Azar, B. (2018). High-Intensity Drinking, Alcohol Research Current Reviews, 39(1).