Binge drinking is defined by drinking a large amount of alcohol in a short period of time (often within about 2 hours) resulting in a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher. At this level, you are legally considered intoxicated.
This level is also linked to major impairment in judgment, coordination, and reaction time. Even a single episode can increase the risk of injuries, falls, drowning, violence, unsafe sex, blackouts, and alcohol poisoning.
Alcohol poisoning is a medical emergency. Signs include confusion, passing out and not waking up, slow or irregular breathing, pale or bluish cold skin, slowed heart rate, or vomiting while unconscious. If you think someone has alcohol poisoning, call 911, stay with them, and place them on their side to help prevent choking.
Over time, repeated binge drinking can contribute to organ damage (including the liver and brain), addiction, and higher cancer risk.
Any step toward drinking less can reduce alcohol-related harm (1,-14).
We are curious, did the number of drinks surprise you? Is it more or less than you thought? Let us know.
- Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
- No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health | World Health Organization | January 2023
- The Impact of Alcohol Consumption on Cardiovascular Health: Myth and Measures | World Health Federation
- How ‘Dry January’ is the secret to better sleep, saving money and losing weight : Broadcast: News items | US University of Sussex | January 2019
- Health | Rethink Your Drinking
- Alcohol consumption as a cause of cancer | Addiction | July 2016
- Cancer | Rethink Your Drinking
- Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health, Public Summary: Drinking Less Is Better | Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction | 2023
- Limit: Zero | Rethink Your Drinking
- Partying and getting drunk | CAMH
- What’s the Difference Between Binge Drinking and Alcohol Use Disorder? | Healthline | April 2022
- Understanding Binge Drinking | National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism | February 2025
- Alcohol Use and Your Health | CDC | January 2025
- What is Binge Drinking? | EHN Canada | October 2024
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