Binge drinking and young women - what's it all about - is it just a British phenomenon?

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

There's been so much coverage about this in the press recently and I listened to a radio programme about it yesterday.

I don't get out much these days , so haven't seen many examples of this apparent new phenomenon. I did go to a nightclub during the summer (sil's hen night) and was amazed at how many young women were in a very bad state and how many sinks in the loos were full of vomit.

I was also on a bus a few weeks ago and overheard 2 young women from university discussing the amount of times they had been shipped into A&E after heavy nights out. They were laughing about it and I honestly felt worried for them.

Is it because I'm getting old and boring that I'm noticing it?

Oh hell. This brings back memories.
I did my dissertation on this.
Shocking isn't it? Like you I wondered if I was getting old but it can't be right can it?

Now that I don't drink or go out or have a life anymore I am a bit shocked at how much I used to drink. I would go out 3-4 times a week and never came home sober, mostly didn't come home at all

I don't think it's a british phenomenon though, I lived in NZ until I was 18 and we all drank far too much there too.

I binge drank at 18 - once or twice a week - and this was over 20 years ago.

Spent most of my 20's and early 30's in a a binge-induced drunken haze. Think most people just eventually grow out of it - due to having kids probably.

I luurve you alll, I reely rellly do! Specially Custy cause she' s my beeest fwriend!

Had a short but memorable period of this in my late teens/early twenties. Seems rather common in the US. Now I have added it to my list of future worries for ds..."Just because mommy was a binge drinker doesn't mean you have to do it" Hmmm, I may have to think of another way.

its true

Well, whilst I would get very merry very regularly as a twenty something - it was never to the A&E stomach pumping stage, and rarely was it to the vomiting / hangover stage and same applied to my friends.

I do think that the hard drinking culture is a more recent phenomenom (wish I could be more confident of my spelling)...I don't have evidence or stats to support this view, just my perception (office colleague who has daughter at University relaying tales to me, next door neighbours 21 year old dd relaying tales to me etc)

This is an interesting article which explores some of the issues

I did my fair share of getting drunk in my younger days, especially at university. However, one of the girls on the bus I mentioned said she'd drunk 2 bottles of wine and two thirds of a bottle of vodka before one of her trips to A&E. She wasn't boasting, she was talking quietly with her friend behind me. I just couldn't have ever managed to drink that amount, I'm sure I'd have blacked out well before she did.

I wanted to turn around and hold her hand and say please don't do it again, but you don't do you?

I HAVE been very drunk but you could count the times on one hand (and I'm old!)

I really don't see the point - you make an arse of yourself and feel ill the next day - wheres the fun in that. I'd much rather be in control of my faculties thank you very much and watch everyone else play pantomime!