BodiMojo Blog

 By Hannah Dorfman

I’ve always been warned of the dangers of binge drinking in health class. Binge drinking is defined as consuming four to five drinks (four for women, five for men) in a row. In a one survey, 10 percent of 8^th graders, 22 percent of 10^th graders, and 26 percent of 12^th graders admitted to binge drinking. Drinking is the cause for more than 5,000 teenage deaths each year. 

But I never actually experienced binge drinking firsthand. Recently, though, I saw the reality of binge drinking at a party.

It all began at my best friend Julie’s house. I went over to Julie’s to help set up for the party before everyone else arrived. Some seniors began staggering through the door, but one girl, Lucy, in particular, caught me off guard. I’ve played soccer with her since we were in 5th grade. She had won “Kindest Heart” for our senior class and I had always assumed she was as straight edged as you could get. This night though, I saw a different side of Lucy. She wasn’t able to stand up straight; her hair was a mess and she reeked of alcohol.  

Next thing I knew, Lucy was throwing up all over Julie’s rug. Minutes later, the ambulance arrived and Lucy was placed on a stretcher, on her way to the hospital. Just seeing Lucy on the stretcher was an absolute shocker for me. I had always heard of these things happening at parties, but I didn’t know it could actually happen to one of my good friends.            

Seeing what happened to Lucy made all the statistics hit home and reinforced the dangers of binge drinking. There are many factors which contributed to Lucy getting sick. Body weight is a huge factor in the amount you’re able to drink. Since Lucy is a small girl, alcohol affected her faster than someone with more body weight. Drinking on an empty stomach allows the alcohol to absorb quicker. And other side effects from alcohol include:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fainting
• Difficulty breathing
• Seizures
• Coma
• Alcohol poisoning
• Dehydration
• Death (in serious cases)

Not only are these side effects likely to occur, but after drinking, judgment is severely impaired, which is why it is never safe to drink and drive. In 2003, 31 percent of teen drivers who died have also been drinking.

Lucy is OK today, but I’m sure she learned a lesson – and I did too. Binge drinking isn’t anything to mess around with. This scary experience showed me the dangers of binge drinking and how to keep my friends from getting out of hand in the future.  

Hannah Dorfman is a Boston-area high school senior whose interests include business and technology.