Binge drinking lands 45 teens a week in hospital

An increasing number of adolescents in Belgium end up in hospital after a bout of excessive alcohol consumption, also known as binge drinking, reports VTM Nieuws. The Association for Alcohol and other Drug Problems defines binge drinking as consuming more than four glasses of alcohol within two hours for a woman, or six glasses for a man.

In 2013 in Belgium, 2,376 young people between the ages of 12 and 17 years willingly went to the hospital emergency room on suspicion of alcohol poisoning. That amounts to more than 45 per week, a significant increase compared with previous years, according to figures from the Intermutualistic Agency (IMA), which worked on the study together with the University of Antwerp and UZ Antwerp hospital.

Extreme alcohol intoxication is more common among boys than girls. Half of the cases occur at the weekend or on holiday. Seven percent of the teens reportedly visited the hospital more than once a year for the consequences of excessive alcohol consumption.

Underage binge drinking is a serious problem, according to the IMA. In addition to the immediate consequence of a hangover, it can have other, more long-term effects, such as aggression, risky sexual behaviour and even rape or accidents. It can cause permanent damage to developing brains, such as memory loss and impaired concentration.

The IMA, University of Antwerp and the UZA are therefore launching a campaign to sensitize young people to the problem, while at the same time urging for more social control from parents and youth clubs.

The minimum drinking age in 20 EU countries is 18, while in Belgium the age is 16.