By analyzing the responses of more than 3,300 students, the researchers show that binge drinking, defined as the consumption of six or more drinks on the same occasion, is never completely harmless. The study sheds new light on the behaviors that can precede a problematic relationship with alcohol.
Behind an evening with friends, a behavior that the brain can learn
For many students, alcohol is associated with meetings, parties, and a sense of belonging. A drink to relax. A few more to “let go.” A way to feel more comfortable with others. But when consumption becomes massive in a few hours, the brain is exposed to a significant quantity of alcohol in a very short time.
This is what we call binge drinking: in France, it corresponds to the consumption of six or more drinks on the same occasion, each glass containing 10 g of pure alcohol.
Among young adults aged 18 to 25, the issue is particularly sensitive. The brain is still developing at this age, particularly in the regions involved in decision-making, behavioral control and emotion regulation.
In Europe, around one in five adults already binge drink at least once a month, making it a growing public health issue.
Faced with this reality, a team led by Professor Philip Gorwood, addiction psychiatrist at GHU Paris Sainte-Anne and researcher at the Paris Institute of Psychiatry and Neurosciences (Inserm/Paris Cité University), sought to understand an essential question: can rare binge drinking already be associated with an increased risk of addiction?
More than 3,300 students surveyed to understand the mechanisms of risk
To answer this question, researchers collected testimonies from 3,308 Parisian and suburban students using an online questionnaire available for five weeks. The participants notably answered a central question: “How often do you drink six or more drinks on one occasion?
The alcohol-consuming students were then divided into four groups:
- Those who never practiced binge drinking;
- Those who did it at low frequency (at least once in their life but less than once a month);
- Those who practiced it at least once a month but less than once a week;
- Those who did it at least once a week.
The group of low-frequency binge drinkers was the most represented, with 1,204 students, or more than a third of the respondents.
One result particularly draws attention: alcohol consumption considered dangerous for health concerned 36.5% of low-frequency binge drinkers, compared to only 4.8% of students who did not engage in binge drinking.
In other words, even behavior that seems casual was associated with a much higher risk of alcohol-related difficulties.
When alcohol becomes a tool to feel better or more accepted
The study is not only interested in the quantities consumed. She also seeks to understand what pushes some young people to drink a lot in a short time.
The motivations reported by the students were multiple: improving their mood, feeling more positive emotions, reducing negative emotions or even facilitating social relationships.
One element comes back: the search for group approval. Binge drinking can then become a strategy to feel integrated, more comfortable or less exposed to the gaze of others.
“The results seem to indicate that low-frequency binge drinkers drink more with the idea of improving their performance and facilitating social connection.underlines Philip Gorwood. “However, motivations of this type lead the person to regularly associate alcohol in large quantities and social contacts, explaining the risk of a vicious circle that can lead to addiction.“.
The researchers also observed that binge drinkers, even occasional ones, reported more smoking, a greater search for strong sensations and more often motivations linked to the facilitation of social contacts.
Among medium-frequency consumers, the intense desire to drink (“craving”) appeared more frequently. Among high-frequency binge drinkers, men were over-represented.
Inform rather than prohibit: prevent before the risk sets in
This study is not intended to make young adults feel guilty. Rather, it highlights a sometimes invisible mechanism: consumption that begins as a social experience can gradually become part of a functioning that is more difficult to control.
The researchers point out that binge drinking, even infrequent, could be associated with a higher risk of developing an alcohol use disorder, but also other behaviors such as smoking.
Faced with these results, the team calls for strengthening prevention strategies among students.
“This message could be the basis of prevention strategies such as awareness campaigns, the use of posters in universities or advertisements on social networks, to disseminate the idea that binge drinking, even infrequent, is harmful to health.explains Philip Gorwood.
The issue is not to eliminate moments of conviviality. It is to give young people the means to understand what is happening behind these rapid and intense consumptions. Because a night out should never become the starting point for a difficult relationship with alcohol.