Experts have identified a form of alcohol abuse more dangerous than binge drinking as Christmas approaches – and it’s particularly common among the middle-aged.
Doctors have long warned patients about binge drinking – which is defined as consuming more than five drinks in two hours – because it raises the risk of life-threatening alcohol issues.
But research suggests women who consume eight drinks or men who have ten across one night are doing more damage to their bodies than alcohol bingers.
Those who drink this much – known as high-intensity drinking – are more likely to black out, be hospitalised with alcohol poisoning and develop an addiction.
And there is a higher chance people aged over 30 partake in high-intensity drinking compared with younger generations.
Experts say the dangerous drinking pattern is more common during the Christmas period and are urging Britons to limit the alcohol they consume in one night as festive parties come around.
‘We know that the run-up to Christmas is a period when people tend to drink more,’ says Dr Richard Piper, chief executive of Alcohol Change UK. ‘And whatever arbitrary boundaries we set, the simple truth is the less you drink the healthier you’ll be.’
The NHS recommends men and women do not consume more than 14 units of alcohol each week. That amount is equal to six pints of average-strength beer or ten small glasses of lower-strength wine.
Experts have identified a form of alcohol abuse more dangerous than binge drinking as Christmas approaches – and it’s particularly common among the middle-aged
Research suggests women who consume eight drinks or men who have ten across one night are doing more damage to their bodies than alcohol bingers
It also suggests those who regularly have as much as 14 units spread their drinking over three or more days to reduce the impact on the body.
Consuming more than this may raise the risk of long-term health problems such as cancer, heart disease and dementia.
Experts have long argued regular binge drinking significantly increases the chances of developing immediate health problems, including alcohol poisoning and liver disease.
Some 16 per cent of British adults reported binge drinking at least once every week – with the highest percentage of those aged between 55 and 64.
Yet University of Michigan scientists argue that high-intensity drinking is a more accurate indicator of those most at risk of alcohol-related issues.
Drinking eight or more alcoholic drinks in a night is equal to consuming more than the NHS weekly recommendation in one go.
It takes the body, on average, an hour to process a unit of alcohol. Drinking eight units or more in one night therefore means the body does not have enough time to filter out the alcohol. This leads to dangerously high levels of booze in the body.
Binge drinking can trigger a blood-alcohol concentration of around 0.08 per cent while high-intensity drinking raises this to 0.2 per cent, research suggests.
Even if high-intensity drinkers avoid short-term issues such as blackouts and alcohol poisoning, they risk developing deadly diseases later in life.
Even if high-intensity drinkers avoid short-term issues such as blackouts and alcohol poisoning, they risk developing deadly diseases later in life
‘There are nearly 200 medical conditions directly caused by alcohol, compared to 40 caused by cigarettes,’ says Dr Piper. ‘And the risks of developing some of these conditions – such as breast cancer – have been shown to increase with every drink you have.’
Yet experts say the research does not mean binge drinking is at all safe.
‘Having five alcoholic drinks in one sitting is already dangerous,’ adds Dr Piper, ‘but drinking eight is even worse.’
Experts say over-30s being more prone to high-intensity drinking is unsurprising. Research suggests Generation X – those currently aged between 44 and 59 – are the heaviest-drinking age group and most likely to be addicted.
Lockdowns during the pandemic also caused drinking in this age bracket to spike.
A 2020 study by addiction charity We Are With You suggested nearly a quarter of over-50s were alcohol-dependent.
Meanwhile Generation Z – aged between 18 and 27 – are the least likely to drink above the NHS-recommended amount of units.
A survey found almost half of adults aged below 28 plan to drink no alcohol this Christmas.
‘The vast majority – around 80 per cent – of alcoholics that we treat across our rehab facilities are Gen X,’ said Lee Fernandes, lead therapist at UK Addiction Treatment Centres.
‘Growing up, alcohol was more prevalent for them, whereas nowadays there is a lot more open conversation around sobriety than ever before.
‘This [change] will hopefully lead to a reduction in high-intensity drinking for today’s university students.’
