Binge drinking problem ‘getting out of control’

Binge drinking, prevalent among young people, is getting out of control and it’s high time for a wake-up call, according to a new editorial in a Canadian medical journal.

Ken Flegel, Noni MacDonald and Paul Hébert said that comprehensive public strategies should be initiated to educate people about the dangerous health effects associated with binge drinking.

“Given the many stakeholders involved in the sale and consumption of alcohol, we need a national strategy for controlling overall alcohol use,” they said in the editorial.

“Public health agencies, the hospitality industry, liquor manufacturers and control boards, municipalities and major granting agencies should collectively turn their attention to evaluate strategies to curb binge drinking,” they added.

The authors also said that a strong surveillance programme was the need of the hour to track binge drinking rates in order to apply public health solutions.

“As we await evidence about beneficial interventions, we should strengthen surveillance programs so we can increase public awareness of the high prevalence and known dangers of heavy and binge drinking,” they said.

Communication and discussion with children and youth about the dangers of intoxication such as rape, violence and risk of death is important as is good role modelling about responsible consumption, they added.

The editorial is published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.