4 Ways to Stop Binge Drinking

1. Slow Down

Binge drinking is defined as taking a large amount of alcohol in a very short time: five drinks in a row for men and four drinks in a row for women. You can stop that by slowing down your consumption. Don't take more than one drink in an hour and never more than four at any single event. Mix your drinks with non-alcoholic beverages and sip your drinks rather than gulping them. If possible, try to eat food while you're drinking. It will absorb some of the alcohol in your system and help keep you from overdosing.

2. Don't Drink Just to Get Drunk

Binge drinking stems from a desire to get as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. Examine your reasons for having a drink. Are you doing it to "get wasted" or to keep up with perceived norms? Responsible drinking doesn't have drunkenness as the goal. Many college students misjudge how much alcohol is required to get drunk. They end up taking far more than they should because they think their peers are consuming just as much. Stay away from parties if you only want to get drunk or if you are drinking just to go with the crowd. Avoid bars or nightclubs when you go out, and find other places to have a good time where alcohol isn't involved.

3. Work on Changing the Atmosphere

Many colleges and universities send mixed messages about drinking, which makes the binge drinking problem worse. Encourage the administration to send clearer messages about drinking. Have them ban alcohol-related advertising on campus or ask them stop selling beer mugs and shot glasses with the school logo on them. Urge them to develop activities on Friday and Saturday nights that don't involve drinking, such as movie nights and dances. If they can provide complimentary non-alcoholic beverages at those events, so much the better. Some colleges don't offer classes on Fridays, which encourages "three-day weekend" partying. Ask them to schedule more classes at the end of the week. Have them target incoming freshman for awareness and education campaigns, and ask them to speak to fraternities and sororities about controlling the amount of drinking that goes on at their parties.

4. Ask About Enforcing Existing Drinking Guidelines

Binge drinking can sometimes be curtailed simply by enforcing guidelines that are already on the books. Encourage your administration to stick to existing rules, such as establishing acceptable locations for parties and shutting down those that take place elsewhere. Ask about zoning laws permitting liquor stores near college campuses. Petition for underage drinking laws to be enforced, and ask about existing ordinances on excessive noise. The aim should be not to drive drinking underground, but to funnel it into more acceptable times and places where binge drinking can be better controlled.