Binge drinking was recently rated the number one health risk to teens in the United States. Seventy percent of college students polled admitted to "bingeing," and one-half of all "bingers" do so regularly. Most teens, however, did not know that "bingeing" could lead to alcoholism. Six teens will die today alone in alcohol-related automobile crashes. Binge drinking has become a popular social activity sometimes caused by peer pressure, problems at home, and problems at school. The consequences of "bingeing" can be deadly, or in some cases lead to severe alcoholism. Educating teens about the effects of binge drinking could help bring this popular trend to an end.
             What exactly is binge drinking? "Bingeing" for a man is an intake of five or more drinks in a row, or during a short period of time. For a woman, "bingeing" is the same, with the exception that it requires only four drinks for the alcohol to take effect. Alcohol affects the female body differently than that of the male. Binge drinking differs from having a drink because "bingers" can become extremely intoxicated. An example of "bingeing" would be guzzling pitchers of a very potent drink, such as an alcoholic beverage normally served in shots.
             One cause of binge drinking is simply peer pressure. Some teens drink just so they can fit in. When most teens and college-aged students are around friends who are drinking, they are more than likely to do it too. In some cases, peer pressure turns to hazing. Scott Crougar, an 18-year-old freshman at MIT, went to a Fraternity party five weeks after arriving at the school. Scott was a bright young man with a wonderful future ahead of him. At this Fiji house party, Scott was forced to drink two cases of beer along with vacadie spiced rum. His blood-alcohol level was five times the legal driving limit. When members of the Frat house found Scott passed out and puking, they simply left him on the basement couch where he choked on his own...