B2 – Upper Intermediate
Binge drinking refers to the excessive consumption of alcohol in a single setting. It is very common among people in several countries worldwide, and is somehow similar with social drinking since it is often done in groups.
Binge drinking is considered a serious public health problem, but can be prevented.
Discussion Questions:
- What drive people to binge drink?
- What health effects do overindulging in alcohol have?
- What can be done to prevent knocking drinks back like it’s an Olympic sport?
- What kinds of social problems does alcohol cause in your country?
- Talk about the drinking culture in your country.
4 replies on “Binge Drinking”
QUESTIONS
1. What drive people to binge drink?
Binge drinking between young people is probably related to their necessity of living risky experiencies or just to push themselves to the limit to see “what’s happen”. Other social reasons could be as people working the hole week without any drop of alcohol until the weekend when people can relax, sinking their frustration into alcohol as faster as possible.
2. What health effects do overindulging in alcohol have?
Alcohol is just a severe drug for our organism. Consuming alcohol in overindulging way can lead into alcoholism which includes sever liver disease, neurodegeneration, several related cardiac and circulatory disease, renal disease. Alcohol is also a main factor for developing different types of cancer. In case of alcoholism in pregnant women, consecuences for themselves and fetus can be devastating.
3. What can be done to prevent knocking drinks back like it’s an Olympic sport?
It is very important to inform people about the serious consecuences of consuming alcohol. But it is also crucial to provide an alternative specially for young people. The aim of consuming alcohol is just to feel relaxed, to feel from our frustration or dayly problems. Alcohol, all types of spirits beverages and drugs among the history of human being is definetly a mechanism to escape from reality. It is a common tool we currently use of socializing with other people that make us be inhibited. We are social animals and we need to continue socializing and escape from our worries. It is normal human behaviour. But we need to find a healthier alternative than the alcohol.
4. What kinds of social problems does alcohol cause in your country?
Alcohol is a big problem in my country. It causes several social problems. The necesisity of treating alcoholics in hospital or alcoholic detoxing foundations. The gender-based violence generated by alcoholic man at their families is also a serious problem in our country. More than a few deaths per year are related to this dramatic problem in our country.
5. Talk about the drinking culture in your country.
Spain has a long and interesting drinking culture. Since the ancient civiliations until current days, the Spanish wine is globlally know.
Other types of drinks are also popular, as part of the sunny and good weather culture that Spain has. However, we also have a not good reputation, in my opinion, regarding other types of alcoholic drinks related to the non-stop parties, music and discos at the main coast regions of Spain as well as the Balears or Canary Islands.
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1. What drive people to binge drink?
Apart from people who are alcoholic and have that problem, I think binge drinking happens mostly in social circumstances, such as a party or when meeting with friends to go out or to watch a match on TV.
2. What health effects do overindulging in alcohol have?
It can damage your body, especially the liver, kidneys and brain, due to the physical damage that alcohol can produce. Moreover, it can cause dependence, making people turn into alcoholism.
3. What can be done to prevent knocking drinks back like it’s an Olympic sport? Maybe it would be good to have preventive education at schools from an early age, to make young people conscious about the dangers of drinking.
4. What kinds of social problems does alcohol cause in your country? We are a country that drinks a lot of wine and beer, but I would like to think that it is a social drinking and that people do not get drunk so often. It is true that we live a lot outside of our homes, in summer but also in winter, and social interactions make alcohol intake go up, but in general I do not think we have a social problem with alcohol.
5. Talk about the drinking culture in your country.
I think we have a culture of social drinking. As I said before, when we go out with friends or celebrate something, we use to drink, mostly wine or beer, but it is rare to see people completely drunk in daily life, unless it is a big celebration or a sport event, like the final match of football competition.
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