Cause
Culture as well as peer pressure play an important role in driving binge drinking. In adults, binge drinking is more common in people who have never been married, score a grade B or less in education, and is also higher in adults who are not religious.
The reasons for binge drinking by children and adolescents in Europe include:
- It's really fun (76%)
- I feel more sociable (65%)
- I feel happy/relaxed (51% each)
- I forget my problems (41%)
Other causes include feeling more grown-up and fitting in with peers and to increase the chance of sexual encounters. Some also drink to alleviate stress or anxiety.
Risk factors for binge drinking among adolescents include: low socioeconomic status, large amount of disposable (pocket) money, sensation/novelty seeking, low self-control, delinquency and having delinquent friends. Other risk factors include: using alcohol as a coping strategy for emotional problems (more common in adolescent girls), excessive drinking among peers, poor relationship with parents, alcohol abuse by parents. Genetic conditions combined with a background of negative environmental factors increase the harmful use of alcohol. Additionally the risk-taking behavior associated with adolescence promotes binge drinking.
Read more about this topic: Binge Drinking