Choose Responsibility

Binge drinking is a public health problem, but is alcohol inherently bad for our health? Some interesting commentary from addiction expert, Dr. Stanton Peele.

When blowing into a breathalyzer subjects with larger lung volume may have lower breath alcohol content than a subject with a small lung volume because these subjects do not need to exhale as great a fraction of their vital capacity. Breath physiology expert, Michael Hlastala estimates that breath tests may vary at least 20% from actual blood alcohol concentration.

A state that allows persons under 21 to legally purchase or publicly consume alcohol will loose 10% of its state highway funds. This “incentive” prompted all 29 of the states that had set ages lower than 21 to bring themselves into compliance with this federal guideline.

A 1999 study found that young adults ages 18-29 (roughly 25% of the population) consumed nearly half of the total alcohol consumed. While behaviors naturally tend to be most pronounced when they first begin to occur, it is perplexing to think that roughly 11% of alcohol is consumed by individual for whom it is illegal.

Cultures can be characterized as either “wet” or “dry”. “Wet” cultures- those of southern Europe, for example- have high per capita consumption of alcohol but few legal restrictions, and fewer drunken driving fatalities. In “wet” cultures, individuals drink frequently but rarely with the intention of becoming intoxicated. “Dry” cultures- those of northern Europe, Scandinavia, and the United States, for example- have low per capita consumption of alcohol. Drinking is infrequent but, when it does occur, it is very heavy. “Dry” cultures have more alcohol related violence and drunken driving fatalities.