Binge drinking and young people

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Binge drinking and young people

• Dr Yvonne Bonomo
• St Vincents Health Dept Drug Alcohol Studies
• Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Centre
• Youth Substance Abuse Service
• University of Melbourne

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Is youth binge drinking worse than before?

• Prevalence rates
• Heavier in terms of dose of alcohol
• Once off vs recurrent binge drinking
• High rates nature of adverse consequences
• Younger age of onset
• All of the above

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Victorian Adolescent Health Cohort Study (VAHCS)
Randomly selected stratified sample
(N1947) Statewide sample from Victoria,
Australia Prospective cohort design (15y
-25y) Laptop computer questionnaires at school
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ResultsResponse rates
YOUNG ADULT
ADOLESCENT FOLLOW- UP
W 1 15y 87
W 2 15.5y 85
W 3 16y 84
W 4 16.5y 80
W 5 17y 78
W 6 17.5y 75
W 7 20.5y 82.2
W 8 23.5y 80
Original sample size 1947
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Alcohol consumption among VAHCS adolescents

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Youth binge drinking

• Standard definition
• 5 or more standard drinks per drinking occasion
• High level binge drinking
• 10 or more standard drinks per drinking occasion
• Intense drinking
• Drank so much that could not remember the next
  day about events the night before
• Unable to stop drinking

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Binge drinking among VAHCS adolescents
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Intense drinking among VAHCS adolescents
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Adverse consequences among VAHCS adolescents
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Early onset heavy drinking among VAHCS adolescents
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Binge drinking a phase or longer term
implications?
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Teen binge drinking DSM IV alcohol abuse in
young adulthood
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The healthy norm for teenage alcohol
consumption?

• High prevalence, recurrent binge drinking
• High rates of adverse consequences
• Young age of onset of binge drinking
• Patterns of heavy alcohol use persisting into
  young adulthood

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Binge drinking longer term implications